Lazard Asset Management LLC Has $4.76 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 98.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,838 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,768 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.06% of The Ensign Group worth $4,760,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $1,099,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,278,000 after acquiring an additional 11,830 shares in the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 339.6% during the fourth quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,369,000 after acquiring an additional 7,961 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $263,000. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 260.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,430,000 after acquiring an additional 77,514 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on ENSG shares. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lowered their target price on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $147.04 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $129.97 and a 200-day moving average of $135.66. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.23 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The company has a market capitalization of $8.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

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.