Sei Investments Co. Grows Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 303,191 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,897 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned 0.53% of The Ensign Group worth $40,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after buying an additional 593,779 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $36,167,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $18,843,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.7 %

Shares of ENSG opened at $130.40 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company has a market capitalization of $7.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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’s 50 day simple moving average is $132.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $140.61.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. 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. Macquarie upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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. In the last three months, insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.