Shelton Capital Management Sells 211 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Shelton Capital Management decreased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 9.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,140 shares of the company’s stock after selling 211 shares during the period. Shelton Capital Management’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $284,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently 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 approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ENSG. Macquarie lifted 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 note on Tuesday, February 4th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $127.69 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.34 billion, a PE ratio of 24.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $129.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $138.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 trade represents a 2.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $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 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.