Headlands Technologies LLC Sells 3,524 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Headlands Technologies LLC lowered its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 64.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,974 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,524 shares during the quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $262,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 3.4 %

The Ensign Group stock opened at $129.33 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $139.42. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ENSG. Macquarie increased 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. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group 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.