Davidson Capital Management Inc. Acquires 1,138 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Davidson Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,962 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,138 shares during the quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,051,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the 4th 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 increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of ENSG opened at $129.08 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $137.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.72. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders 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. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 4.89%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on ENSG shares. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

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.