The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY

Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,018 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the period. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $373,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,661,581 shares of the company’s stock worth $828,834,000 after acquiring an additional 39,695 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,620,360 shares of the company’s stock worth $294,031,000 after purchasing an additional 221,838 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,211,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,905,000 after purchasing an additional 36,587 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in The Ensign Group by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 732,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,156,000 after purchasing an additional 7,110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $65,050,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $148.66 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $90.00 and a one year high of $149.65. The company has a market cap of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.12, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.53. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $135.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $125.87.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 5.68%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.08 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th were issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, COO Spencer Burton sold 7,519 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.04, for a total transaction of $1,015,365.76. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 42,629 shares in the company, valued at $5,756,620.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 3,500 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.00, for a total transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Spencer Burton sold 7,519 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.04, for a total value of $1,015,365.76. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 42,629 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,756,620.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 19,118 shares of company stock worth $2,648,339 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Macquarie started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, June 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $134.50.

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.