Dana Investment Advisors Inc. Has $1.85 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Dana Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 14,981 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 180 shares during the quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,853,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. LRI Investments LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $49,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $145.34 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.27 billion, a PE ratio of 38.25, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $90.00 and a 1-year high of $154.93. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $146.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $130.48.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 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 company had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.08 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 6.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Macquarie assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, June 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $145.40.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other 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 transaction of $283,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,127,303.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,057,400. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares in the company, valued at $4,127,303.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 24,736 shares of company stock worth $3,491,039 in the last three months. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.