South Dakota Investment Council Makes New Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

South Dakota Investment Council purchased 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 Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 781 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $104,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 32.9% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 16,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,254,000 after acquiring an additional 4,200 shares during the period. Alberta Investment Management Corp lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 24.7% during the fourth quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 7,992 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,062,000 after purchasing an additional 1,585 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.5% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 421 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $244,000. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 2.2 %

The Ensign Group stock opened at $129.09 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 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 stock’s fifty day moving average is $134.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.88. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Macquarie raised 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. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on 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 reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. 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 target on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on 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 equities research 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 currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About The Ensign Group

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.