Federated Hermes Inc. Sells 854 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Federated Hermes Inc. cut its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 10.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,003 shares of the company’s stock after selling 854 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $786,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.4% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,481,000 after purchasing an additional 30,184 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 24.9% during the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 201,143 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,692,000 after acquiring an additional 40,050 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 8.0% during the third quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 12,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 17.4% during the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 31,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,885,000 after acquiring an additional 4,593 shares during the period. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $2,520,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total value of $6,844,775.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 155,703 shares in the company, valued at $18,380,739.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.9 %

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $119.45 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $121.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $114.11. The company has a market capitalization of $6.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.64, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $87.14 and a 1-year high of $127.57.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The company had revenue of $980.38 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $975.13 million. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 5.61%. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ENSG. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $123.60.

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.