The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Van Berkom & Associates Inc.

Van Berkom & Associates Inc. lowered its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 10.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 700,961 shares of the company’s stock after selling 77,836 shares during the period. The Ensign Group accounts for 2.8% of Van Berkom & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. owned 1.22% of The Ensign Group worth $93,130,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. 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. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.3 %

ENSG opened at $127.47 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $134.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.99. The firm has a market cap of $7.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.94.

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

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 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.