8,486 Shares in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Acquired by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

Key Points

• The Virginia Retirement Systems acquired 8,486 shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. for approximately $1.3 million, signaling institutional interest in the company.
• A number of hedge funds increased their stakes in The Ensign Group, with notable increases from American Century Companies Inc. by 1,235.5% and Wellington Management Group LLP by 17.6%.
• The Ensign Group's recent quarterly earnings exceeded estimates, reporting $1.59 EPS, along with a reported revenue of $1.23 billion, representing an 18.5% year-over-year increase.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 8,486 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,309,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 941,274 shares of the company's stock worth $121,801,000 after acquiring an additional 3,344 shares during the period. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 800,108 shares of the company's stock worth $103,534,000 after buying an additional 99,147 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 683,650 shares of the company's stock worth $88,464,000 after buying an additional 102,089 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 468,575 shares of the company's stock worth $60,634,000 after buying an additional 433,489 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Crow s Nest Holdings LP bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth $56,936,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stephens increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $190.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $176.83.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $184.79 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $185.69. The firm's fifty day moving average is $172.25 and its 200 day moving average is $153.34. The firm has a market cap of $10.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.93.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.06, for a total transaction of $120,442.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 27,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,654,567.12. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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