McIlrath & Eck LLC Boosts Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 26.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 903 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $120,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $90,747,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at $36,167,000. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,613,000 after buying an additional 197,865 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $22,777,000. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,497,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $464,630,000 after acquiring an additional 159,691 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the sale, the director now owns 24,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 6,238 shares of company stock valued at $912,050 over the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $146.06 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $131.72 and a 200 day moving average of $135.46. The company has a market cap of $8.40 billion, a PE ratio of 28.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.23 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The company’s revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend 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.