Nomura Holdings Inc. Invests $1 Million in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Nomura Holdings Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 7,537 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,001,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth 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 period. Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $104,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on ENSG shares. Macquarie decreased their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 39,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,881,350. This trade represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded down $1.41 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $144.65. The company's stock had a trading volume of 232,521 shares, compared to its average volume of 442,633. The business has a fifty day moving average of $131.72 and a 200-day moving average of $135.46. The stock has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.23 and a twelve month high of $158.45. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.30 EPS. The Ensign Group's revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

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.