Congress Asset Management Co. Makes New $210,000 Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Congress Asset Management Co. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 1,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $210,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the fourth 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 period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,254,710. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $128.07 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $135.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $143.30. The firm has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a PE ratio of 25.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (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, analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.