Advisor Resource Council Buys Shares of 5,719 The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Advisor Resource Council bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 5,719 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $702,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 69,400 shares of the company's stock worth $8,980,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 39.0% in the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Davidson Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.8% during the first quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc. now owns 23,138 shares of the company's stock worth $2,994,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 6,680 shares of the company's stock worth $864,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company's stock valued at $754,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 10,257 shares of company stock worth $1,553,090. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock traded down $1.37 on Monday, hitting $152.17. 318,212 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 451,392. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $141.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $135.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.73 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The firm's revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Macquarie dropped their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

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.