Securian Asset Management Inc. Lowers Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Securian Asset Management Inc. cut its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,301 shares of the company’s stock after selling 115 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $571,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. FMR LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at $36,167,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $18,843,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ENSG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 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 value of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $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 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 over the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $125.40 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.54, 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 business’s 50-day moving average is $133.05 and its 200 day moving average is $141.48.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.