Ibex Wealth Advisors Makes New $217,000 Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Ibex Wealth Advisors acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 1,636 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $217,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ENSG. CWM LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,598 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ENSG. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial cut 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. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.83.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the 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 sale, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $140.58 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.93. The business’s 50 day moving average is $138.52 and its 200-day moving average is $143.61. 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, Inc. has a 1-year low of $110.71 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.18%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.05%.

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.