The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Corebridge Financial Inc.

Corebridge Financial Inc. cut its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 4.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 91,588 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,724 shares during the quarter. Corebridge Financial Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $12,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $36,167,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $21,744,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after buying an additional 78,570 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now directly 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. In the last three months, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial reduced their price target 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. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.3 %

The Ensign Group stock opened at $130.01 on Wednesday. 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 has a market capitalization of $7.47 billion, a PE ratio of 25.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $132.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.47. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

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.