Values First Advisors Inc. Has $3.86 Million Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Values First Advisors Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 26,805 shares of the company’s stock after selling 331 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group comprises approximately 2.1% of Values First Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,855,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $792,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 294.7% during the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 9,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,203,000 after purchasing an additional 7,262 shares during the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14.4% in the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 52,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,486,000 after acquiring an additional 6,583 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,500,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth approximately $1,599,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $148.85 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.47 billion, a PE ratio of 39.17, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.53. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $92.69 and a fifty-two week high of $154.93. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $148.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $133.27.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.08 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ENSG. Macquarie started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, June 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $133.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $152.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 3,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.00, for a total transaction of $420,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,520,240. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,127,303.75. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.00, for a total transaction of $420,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,520,240. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 14,118 shares of company stock worth $2,053,620. 3.90% of the stock is 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.