The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Park Avenue Securities LLC

Park Avenue Securities LLC decreased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,288 shares of the company’s stock after selling 120 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,156,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,621,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $743,042,000 after buying an additional 310,182 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,620,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $294,031,000 after buying an additional 221,838 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,211,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,905,000 after buying an additional 36,587 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 788,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,275,000 after buying an additional 61,127 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 750,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,734,000 after buying an additional 23,215 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.3 %

ENSG stock opened at $121.37 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $88.79 and a 52-week high of $127.57. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $118.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.99.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

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.