NBC Securities Inc. Buys 3,211 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

NBC Securities Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 107,033.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,214 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,211 shares during the quarter. NBC Securities Inc.'s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $415,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 205,313 shares of the company's stock worth $26,567,000 after acquiring an additional 2,915 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock worth $43,770,000 after acquiring an additional 335,964 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. Moody National Bank Trust Division increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 8,796 shares of the company's stock worth $1,138,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 28.8% in the 1st quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,520 shares of the company's stock worth $197,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, 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 report on Friday, May 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock traded up $0.69 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $152.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 291,389 shares, compared to its average volume of 447,172. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $117.41 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a 50 day moving average of $136.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $135.47.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

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.