SG Americas Securities LLC Takes $343,000 Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 2,650 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $343,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,497,137 shares of the company's stock valued at $464,630,000 after purchasing an additional 159,691 shares during the period. FMR LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,082,647 shares of the company's stock valued at $276,701,000 after buying an additional 86,676 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock worth $124,613,000 after buying an additional 197,865 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $90,747,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 8.2% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 557,717 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,098,000 after acquiring an additional 42,184 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through 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 transaction of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 10,257 shares of company stock valued at $1,553,090 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of ENSG traded down $0.44 on Friday, reaching $153.35. The company's stock had a trading volume of 566,467 shares, compared to its average volume of 453,399. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.82 billion, a PE ratio of 28.99, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $143.43 and a 200-day moving average of $136.24.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The firm 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 business posted $1.30 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Macquarie decreased their price objective on 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 analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $163.50.

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.