HWG Holdings LP Lowers Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

HWG Holdings LP cut its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 48.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,483 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,101 shares during the quarter. HWG Holdings LP's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $728,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ENSG. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 260.3% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,430,000 after buying an additional 77,514 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,538,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 11,483 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,526,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position 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 valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 11,804 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,568,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded up $1.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $147.82. 347,119 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 445,872. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The business's fifty day moving average is $133.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.28. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $117.41 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $8.50 billion, a PE ratio of 28.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. The Ensign Group's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Macquarie reduced 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 note on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28% 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, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, valued at $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050. 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.