The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Position Raised by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,800 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,099,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 7,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,018,000 after purchasing an additional 382 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. raised its holdings 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 valued at $664,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Caitlin John LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 15,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,058,000 after buying an additional 576 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,193,000. Finally, Prudent Investors Network Inc. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.2 %

ENSG stock opened at $128.01 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a PE ratio of 25.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month 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 50 day simple moving average of $136.15 and a 200 day simple moving average of $143.37.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of 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. Macquarie increased 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. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock worth $5,995,390. 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.