Peterson Wealth Services Acquires 382 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Peterson Wealth Services raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,665 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 382 shares during the quarter. Peterson Wealth Services’ holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,018,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Caitlin John LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 15,492 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,058,000 after acquiring an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $9,193,000. Prudent Investors Network Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $212,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,430,000 after acquiring an additional 7,542 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG opened at $129.23 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $137.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.81. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year 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 firm has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly 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%. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock worth $5,995,390. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial decreased their price objective 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. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Company 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.