6,906 Shares in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Acquired by Balance Wealth LLC

Balance Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 6,906 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $894,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 39.0% in the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.3%

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.44 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $153.35. The company's stock had a trading volume of 566,467 shares, compared to its average volume of 453,399. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $143.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $136.24. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market capitalization of $8.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.03.

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

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 10,257 shares of company stock valued at $1,553,090 in the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.