The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stake Lowered by Values First Advisors Inc.

Values First Advisors Inc. trimmed its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 26,805 shares of the company’s stock after selling 331 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group comprises approximately 2.1% of Values First Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,855,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth $49,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on ENSG shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $133.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Macquarie initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target for the company. Finally, Truist Financial boosted 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.20.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $148.85 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $92.69 and a 12 month high of $154.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.96. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $148.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $133.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 5.68%. The Ensign Group’s revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.08 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast 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 issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.32%.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total value of $283,420.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,127,303.75. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total value of $283,420.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,127,303.75. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $842,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,057,400. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,118 shares of company stock valued at $2,053,620 over the last quarter. Company 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.