The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by King Luther Capital Management Corp

Key Points

• King Luther Capital Management Corp increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 10.0%, acquiring a total of 53,755 shares valued at approximately $6.96 million.
• Recent analyst reports showed a mixture of recommendations on The Ensign Group, with Macquarie lowering its price target to $156 while Truist Financial raised theirs to $165, contributing to an average price target of $167.67.
• The Ensign Group declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share, representing a low annualized yield of 0.2%, and has a current payout ratio of 4.54%.

King Luther Capital Management Corp lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 10.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 53,755 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,872 shares during the quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp owned about 0.09% of The Ensign Group worth $6,956,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Forum Financial Management LP increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the period. Wealth Alliance LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 4.6% in the first quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 1,971 shares of the company's stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 17.9% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 585 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 1.6% in the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company's stock worth $754,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,384 shares of the company's stock worth $715,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Macquarie decreased their price target 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. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $167.67.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the business's 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 transaction, the director directly owned 24,926 shares in the company, valued at $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total transaction of $107,436.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 27,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,274,724.96. This represents a 2.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 19,336 shares of company stock valued at $2,902,377. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $160.63 on Monday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $162.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The stock has a market cap of $9.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.15, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.02. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $149.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $138.81.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.54%.

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.

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