Virtu Financial LLC Takes Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,057 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $567,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 34.5% during the fourth quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 41,102 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,612,000 after purchasing an additional 10,540 shares in the last quarter. Scarborough Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Covenant Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $202,000. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $636,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 8.1% during the fourth quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 72,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,136,000 after purchasing an additional 5,415 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $122.15 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $88.79 and a 52 week high of $127.57. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $118.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.15. The firm has a market cap of $6.95 billion, a PE ratio of 32.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 5.67%. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.32%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total transaction of $530,918.48. Following the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the sale, the director now owns 20,002 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,813 shares of company stock worth $808,203. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on ENSG. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.60.

The Ensign Group Profile

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.