Cibc World Markets Corp Acquires New Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Cibc World Markets Corp acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 5,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $690,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.0 %

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $128.24 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $132.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.82. The firm has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.10, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.89%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 in the last three months. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ENSG. Truist Financial reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Company Profile

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.