Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. Increases Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 27,864 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 856 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,702,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth about $49,000. USA Financial Formulas bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth about $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 294.2% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 477 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $130.95 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $110.71 and a 12 month high of $158.45. 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 stock has a market cap of $7.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a 50 day moving average of $141.67 and a 200 day moving average of $142.41.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 6.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was 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 directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by 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.