AQR Capital Management LLC Acquires 12,185 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 33.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,009 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,185 shares during the quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of The Ensign Group worth $6,511,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Stephens reiterated 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 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $137.00 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $7.88 billion, a PE ratio of 26.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $115.79 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The business's 50-day moving average price is $128.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $136.00.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. 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 0.18%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Company 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.

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