Laurus Global Equity Management Inc. Increases Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Laurus Global Equity Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 11.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,560 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,390 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group makes up 1.9% of Laurus Global Equity Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Laurus Global Equity Management Inc.'s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,919,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,298 shares of the company's stock worth $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 1,564 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings 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 worth $754,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 10.7% in the 1st quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,506 shares of the company's stock worth $324,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 36,529 shares of the company's stock worth $4,727,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth about $343,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $143.98 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $147.88 and a 200 day moving average of $136.94. The company has a market capitalization of $8.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.22, a PEG ratio of 1.69 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 company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.40.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. On average, 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the director directly owned 24,926 shares in the company, valued at $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 19,336 shares of company stock valued at $2,902,377 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Macquarie reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.

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