Bridgewater Associates LP Decreases Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Bridgewater Associates LP cut its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 30.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 5,996 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,671 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $797,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.2 %

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $127.98 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $113.27 and a twelve 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 fifty day simple moving average of $128.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.64.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. Analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the topic of several analyst reports. Truist Financial cut their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities 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 stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About The Ensign Group

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.