Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $21.67 Million Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 48.9% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 150,649 shares of the company’s stock after selling 144,143 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $21,666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $148.79 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.95. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $104.09 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The business has a 50 day moving average of $149.62 and a 200-day moving average of $136.64.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.00, for a total value of $507,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,788,820. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,118 shares of company stock worth $1,660,200. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Stephens lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.20.

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.