State of Tennessee Department of Treasury Decreases Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

State of Tennessee Department of Treasury cut its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 10.7% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 17,871 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,146 shares during the period. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,374,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,102,000 after acquiring an additional 6,931 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,595,000 after purchasing an additional 78,570 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,099,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,278,000 after purchasing an additional 11,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 339.6% during the 4th quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 7,961 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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 transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on ENSG shares. Macquarie raised their price objective 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. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $127.07 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The business has a 50-day moving average of $128.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. 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 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 4.89%.

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.