Premier Fund Managers Ltd Reduces Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Premier Fund Managers Ltd lessened its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 33.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,126 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,039 shares during the quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $595,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth approximately $151,827,000. F M Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the second quarter worth approximately $14,370,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.7% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 571,532 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,693,000 after buying an additional 59,933 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.5% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 245,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,283,000 after buying an additional 51,367 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $5,167,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $144.66 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $104.18 and a one year high of $158.45. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $148.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The company has a market capitalization of $8.29 billion, a PE ratio of 35.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.95.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The Ensign Group’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.81%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.20.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $842,700.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,057,400. This represents a 9.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.