The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Bought by Consolidated Planning Corp

Consolidated Planning Corp raised its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 70.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,072 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,740 shares during the quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,174,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 23.2% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,298 shares of the company's stock worth $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 1,564 shares during the last quarter. LVZ Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth $374,000. Advisor Resource Council acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth $702,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.3% in the first quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 69,400 shares of the company's stock worth $8,980,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 39.0% in the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company's stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Macquarie cut their price target 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.50.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 10,257 shares of company stock worth $1,553,090. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $153.54 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $8.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $135.80.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 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 the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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