Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Sells 5,146 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC lowered its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 74.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,750 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,146 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $233,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Macquarie lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group began 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. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $129.08 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 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 company’s 50 day moving average is $137.15 and its 200 day moving average is $143.72.

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

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.