Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Buys 11,830 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 10.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 130,047 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,830 shares during the period. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $17,278,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the second quarter worth $49,000. USA Financial Formulas bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.8 %

ENSG opened at $136.81 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $7.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $110.71 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $139.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.27. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial dropped their price target on 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. Oppenheimer lifted 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 began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Stephens raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $161.83.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.