Versor Investments LP Buys 1,323 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Versor Investments LP lifted its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 89.7% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,798 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,323 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $372,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $104,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,254,710 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $129.15 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $134.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $142.65. The stock has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.27, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Macquarie upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc provides skilled nursing, senior living, and rehabilitative services. It operates through two segments: Skilled Services and Standard Bearer. The company's Skilled Services segment engages in the operation of skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation therapy services for patients with chronic conditions, prolonged illness, and the elderly; and offers nursing facilities including specialty care, such as on-site dialysis, ventilator care, cardiac, and pulmonary management, as well as standard services comprising room and board, special nutritional programs, social services, recreational activities, entertainment, and other services.