The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Holdings Boosted by Central Pacific Bank Trust Division

Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 7.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,180 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $157,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at $49,000. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth about $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 294.2% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 477 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $132.50 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $110.71 and a 52 week high of $158.45. 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 stock has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 32.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $143.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $142.26.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 6.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.33.

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.