Rhumbline Advisers Reduces Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Rhumbline Advisers decreased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 192,407 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,818 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $23,799,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Harfst & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 12,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,512,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 15,897 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,966,000 after purchasing an additional 725 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 24.7% during the 2nd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 77,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,619,000 after purchasing an additional 15,428 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company’s stock valued at $982,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sage Rhino Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $202,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on ENSG. Macquarie initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $149.05 on Friday. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $90.00 and a fifty-two week high of $152.63. The firm has a market cap of $8.48 billion, a PE ratio of 39.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.96. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $139.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $127.33.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.08 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $842,700.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,057,400. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total value of $283,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,127,303.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $842,700.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,057,400. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 24,736 shares of company stock valued at $3,491,039 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.