New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Takes Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 12,411 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,649,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Cerity Partners LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 164.9% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 4,442 shares of the company’s stock worth $639,000 after acquiring an additional 2,765 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 105.1% in the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 66,691 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,592,000 after purchasing an additional 34,172 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 23.1% during the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 39,419 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,669,000 after purchasing an additional 7,400 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.5% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 13,427 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,931,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on ENSG. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie raised their price target 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, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’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 completion of the sale, the director now directly 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of ENSG opened at $128.74 on Monday. 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 has a 50-day moving average price of $132.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $140.00. The stock has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

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.