HighTower Advisors LLC Sells 1,105 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

HighTower Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 32,476 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,105 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC owned about 0.06% of The Ensign Group worth $4,663,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hilltop Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth $303,000. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth about $244,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 275.1% during the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 2,532 shares of the company’s stock worth $364,000 after buying an additional 1,857 shares in the last quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $222,000. Finally, Fred Alger Management LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 77.6% in the 3rd quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 13,038 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,875,000 after acquiring an additional 5,696 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. 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.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $143.31 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $147.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $140.33. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $106.36 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 5.81%.

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.