The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Baillie Gifford & Co.

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford & Co. reduced its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.0%, now owning approximately 1.64% of the company worth $122.36 million.
• Macquarie lowered its price objective for The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 while maintaining an "outperform" rating.
• The Ensign Group reported $1.59 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share with a yield of 0.17%.

Baillie Gifford & Co. lowered its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 4.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 945,592 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,017 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned about 1.64% of The Ensign Group worth $122,360,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $90,747,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock worth $43,770,000 after purchasing an additional 335,964 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,167,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in The Ensign Group by 26.7% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock worth $124,613,000 after purchasing an additional 197,865 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $22,777,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of ENSG stock traded down $0.67 on Wednesday, hitting $150.35. The stock had a trading volume of 62,046 shares, compared to its average volume of 429,720. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.03. The stock's 50 day moving average is $147.94 and its 200-day moving average is $137.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.73 and a 52-week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $107,436.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,274,724.96. This trade represents a 2.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 19,336 shares of company stock valued at $2,902,377. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Macquarie dropped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Truist Financial set a $165.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $167.67.

The Ensign Group Company 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.