Westover Capital Advisors LLC Sells 261 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Westover Capital Advisors LLC decreased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,820 shares of the company’s stock after selling 261 shares during the period. Westover Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,165,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $104,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $129.87 on Tuesday. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average price is $134.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $142.65. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued 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%. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were 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 approximately $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. Insiders have sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.