Cibc World Markets Corp Acquires New Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Cibc World Markets Corp acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 5,194 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $690,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its position in The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position in The Ensign Group by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.0 %

ENSG stock opened at $128.24 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.37 billion, a PE ratio of 25.10, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $113.27 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $132.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $140.82.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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, equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This 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 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Macquarie increased their target price 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. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased 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 research report on Monday, January 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

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.