The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Riverbridge Partners LLC

Riverbridge Partners LLC cut its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 4.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,073,069 shares of the company's stock after selling 55,507 shares during the period. The Ensign Group makes up approximately 2.2% of Riverbridge Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Riverbridge Partners LLC owned about 1.87% of The Ensign Group worth $138,855,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $90,747,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,770,000 after acquiring an additional 335,964 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,167,000. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.7% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,613,000 after acquiring an additional 197,865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $22,777,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Macquarie reduced 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,995,245. This represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 10,257 shares of company stock valued at $1,553,090. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.9%

The Ensign Group stock traded down $1.37 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $152.17. The company had a trading volume of 318,212 shares, compared to its average volume of 451,392. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.03. 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 firm's fifty day moving average is $141.43 and its 200-day moving average is $135.86. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.73 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share 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 16.90%. 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 business earned $1.30 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 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.