The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by Values First Advisors Inc.

Values First Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 28,854 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 976 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group comprises approximately 2.0% of Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,238,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,481,000 after purchasing an additional 30,184 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 24.9% in the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 201,143 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,692,000 after purchasing an additional 40,050 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 12,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 31,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,885,000 after purchasing an additional 4,593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,520,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total transaction of $6,844,775.10. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 155,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,380,739.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.67, for a total transaction of $718,020.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 31,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,754,646.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total transaction of $6,844,775.10. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 155,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,380,739.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 84,782 shares of company stock worth $10,048,943 over the last ninety days. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ENSG has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.20.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.0 %

ENSG stock traded down $1.20 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $124.42. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 418,906 shares, compared to its average volume of 252,724. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.99, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $87.14 and a 52-week high of $127.57. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $109.72.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.61% and a return on equity of 17.84%. The company had revenue of $980.38 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $975.13 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.56%.

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.