Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS Acquires 447 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,567 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 447 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,670,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $130.01 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $132.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $140.47. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $7.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.44, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS 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 predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was 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 owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 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.