The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Position Raised by Ameriprise Financial Inc.

Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 13.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 80,025 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,433 shares during the quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. owned about 0.14% of The Ensign Group worth $10,632,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Algert Global LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth $10,285,000. Alteri Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $255,000. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 22.3% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 89,312 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,866,000 after buying an additional 16,288 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 54,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,212,000 after buying an additional 4,713 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $137,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie cut their target price on 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 in the company, valued at approximately $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was 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 directly owns 30,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock valued at $912,050. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $147.70 on Tuesday. 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 company has a 50-day moving average of $130.84 and a 200-day moving average of $135.29. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.23 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $8.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

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.

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