The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Quest Partners LLC

Quest Partners LLC cut its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 96.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 354 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,439 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $51,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position 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 worth $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $49,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ENSG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $146.21 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day moving average of $148.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $138.83. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $104.18 and a 52-week high of $158.45. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 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.