The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas trimmed its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 10.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 62,013 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,001 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas owned about 0.11% of The Ensign Group worth $8,024,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the first quarter valued at about $36,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $38,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 39.0% in the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 109.2% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 822 shares of the company's stock valued at $106,000 after acquiring an additional 429 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 10,957 shares of company stock valued at $1,660,526 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded down $0.39 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $147.18. The stock had a trading volume of 108,454 shares, compared to its average volume of 447,348. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a PE ratio of 27.82, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The stock's 50 day moving average is $146.59 and its 200 day moving average is $136.66. 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 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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The Ensign Group's revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Macquarie lowered their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

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.