The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Shares Sold by WCM Investment Management LLC

WCM Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 31.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 169,409 shares of the company’s stock after selling 77,333 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $29,062,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 638.7% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. MAI Capital Management raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1,009.5% in the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 1,128.6% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 872.4% during the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 253 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $172.56 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $177.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.99 billion, a PE ratio of 30.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $193.99.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.28 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.77% and a net margin of 6.80%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.39 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a $0.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 4.65%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price target (up from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price target (up from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $196.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.57, for a total transaction of $178,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 24,126 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,308,179.82. The trade was a 3.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.59, for a total transaction of $121,513.00. Following the sale, the director owned 23,652 shares in the company, valued at $4,105,750.68. The trade was a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 49,934 shares of company stock worth $8,953,443. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Profile

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company’s model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.