Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC Has $1.72 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,933 shares of the company’s stock after selling 397 shares during the period. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,718,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $104,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG stock opened at $128.96 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $133.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $142.41. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 25.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. Analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ENSG. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 in the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.