The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lowered its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 19.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 69,313 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,512 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. owned 0.12% of The Ensign Group worth $8,624,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position 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 worth $27,481,000 after purchasing an additional 30,184 shares during the last quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $4,993,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,621,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $743,042,000 after buying an additional 310,182 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 102.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 64,828 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,274,000 after buying an additional 32,884 shares during the period. Finally, King Luther Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $1,691,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on ENSG. Macquarie assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $126.17.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of ENSG traded up $1.22 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $134.33. The stock had a trading volume of 461,597 shares, compared to its average volume of 386,740. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $119.96. The firm has a market cap of $7.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $89.44 and a fifty-two week high of $135.79.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.67% and a return on equity of 17.60%. The firm had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.32%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.26, for a total transaction of $236,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,577,365. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.26, for a total value of $236,520.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,577,365. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 20,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,813 shares of company stock valued at $808,203. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.