Two Sigma Advisers LP Takes $6.62 Million Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Two Sigma Advisers LP purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 49,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,616,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned approximately 0.09% of The Ensign Group as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth $104,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG traded down $1.15 on Wednesday, hitting $146.31. 358,974 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 443,829. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.23 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $8.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $132.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.25. 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 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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were 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 was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.73%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group 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 transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Macquarie dropped 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 report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $163.50.

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.