Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC Has $4.65 Million Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC cut its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,010 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,689 shares during the quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $4,652,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position 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 valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth $49,000. Finally, USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth $54,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this link. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial dropped their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.83.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.8 %

ENSG stock opened at $138.65 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $138.76 and its 200-day moving average is $143.54. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $110.71 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.94 billion, a PE ratio of 33.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued 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 business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

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

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.