Two Sigma Investments LP Has $17.66 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 17.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 132,925 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,796 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP owned 0.23% of The Ensign Group worth $17,660,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $144.65 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $132.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $135.39. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $116.23 and a 52-week 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) 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 analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock valued at $912,050 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.