Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Buys 3,659 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 7.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,833 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,659 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned approximately 0.09% of The Ensign Group worth $7,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $1,099,000. Fox Run Management L.L.C. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 339.6% in the 4th quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company's stock worth $1,369,000 after buying an additional 7,961 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company's stock worth $125,430,000 after buying an additional 7,542 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 260.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,430,000 after purchasing an additional 77,514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $476,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG stock traded up $1.28 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $147.82. The stock had a trading volume of 347,119 shares, compared to its average volume of 445,877. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $117.41 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $133.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $135.11. 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 released its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the 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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction 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 trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lowered their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One 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.com, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.50.

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.