The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stake Raised by Axiom Investors LLC DE

Axiom Investors LLC DE grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 156,844 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,650 shares during the period. Axiom Investors LLC DE’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $20,838,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $128.74 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $132.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.00. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) 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 predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, 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 sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Truist Financial cut their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average 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.