Blueshift Asset Management LLC Invests $433,000 in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Blueshift Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,262 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $433,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of 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. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth $80,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial decreased their price target 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 reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Macquarie lifted their target price 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $129.59 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 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 moving average price is $132.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $141.03. The firm has a market cap of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of 25.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group 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.