Amalgamated Bank Decreases Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Amalgamated Bank decreased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 25,770 shares of the company’s stock after selling 323 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,424,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth about $228,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,531,000. Oak Ridge Investments LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 32,250 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,638,000 after purchasing an additional 4,783 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 8,440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,214,000 after purchasing an additional 532 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 177.7% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 27,008 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,884,000 after buying an additional 17,282 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $129.15 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. 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 stock has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $134.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.70.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 4.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. 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 price objective for the company. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,254,710. 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.