Wealth Alliance Takes Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Wealth Alliance bought a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 1,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $201,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Natixis acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Carmel Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 117.7% during the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 381 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.20.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $118.26 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $122.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.63. The company has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a PE ratio of 32.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.14 and a fifty-two week high of $127.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.42.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The firm 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 predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal 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 $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.56%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 approximately $18,380,739.15. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chairman now directly owns 155,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,380,739.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 89,245 shares of company stock worth $10,579,862. 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.