Axiom Investors LLC DE Raises Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Axiom Investors LLC DE boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 156,844 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,650 shares during the quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE owned approximately 0.27% of The Ensign Group worth $20,838,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Cerity Partners LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 164.9% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 4,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $639,000 after acquiring an additional 2,765 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 105.1% in the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 66,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,592,000 after purchasing an additional 34,172 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position 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. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 23.1% in the third quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 39,419 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,669,000 after purchasing an additional 7,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 2.5% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 13,427 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,931,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.2 %

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $128.74 on Monday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $132.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $140.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced 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%. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued 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 (DPR) is 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on ENSG shares. Truist Financial reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The shares were 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 owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.