ProShare Advisors LLC Increases Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 22.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,608 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,314 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC owned about 0.12% of The Ensign Group worth $9,514,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the 4th 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. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie dropped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company'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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group 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 owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.77 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $143.89. 50,999 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 442,018. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $132.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.39. The company has a market cap of $8.27 billion, a PE ratio of 28.21, 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

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, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.73%.

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.