New Mexico Educational Retirement Board Acquires Shares of 11,600 The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

New Mexico Educational Retirement Board acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 11,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,541,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth $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 raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $128.01 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $136.15 and a 200-day moving average of $143.38. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a PE ratio of 25.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current 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 is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Macquarie raised their price objective 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. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.