The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock Holdings Reduced by Bard Associates Inc.

Bard Associates Inc. lessened its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 89,752 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,517 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group comprises about 4.1% of Bard Associates Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Bard Associates Inc. owned 0.16% of The Ensign Group worth $11,930,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after buying an additional 593,779 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.1% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,363,822 shares of the company’s stock worth $196,181,000 after acquiring an additional 66,314 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the third quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,740,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares during the last quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $151,827,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,542 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade 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 valued at $6,254,710 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.6 %

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $129.87 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $134.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $142.65.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued 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 expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the topic of several research reports. Truist Financial lowered 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 research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently 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.