Two Sigma Investments LP Boosts Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 17.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 132,925 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 19,796 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP owned 0.23% of The Ensign Group worth $17,660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its position 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 raised its position in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $104,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie dropped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $530,850.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,238 shares of company stock valued at $912,050 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.0%

ENSG traded down $1.42 on Wednesday, hitting $146.05. 115,832 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 442,880. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.23 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $8.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average price of $132.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $135.25.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The Ensign Group's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

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.