The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by Envestnet Asset Management Inc.

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 6.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 358,341 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 21,510 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.62% of The Ensign Group worth $46,369,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position 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 worth $60,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 109.2% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 822 shares of the company's stock worth $106,000 after buying an additional 429 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.2%

NASDAQ ENSG traded up $1.77 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $145.75. 230,761 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 421,670. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $147.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $136.96. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.73 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $8.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.03. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.90%. The business's revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total value of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 269,692 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 19,336 shares of company stock worth $2,902,377. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Macquarie dropped their target price on shares of 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 company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

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.