Vest Financial LLC Takes Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Vest Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 17,943 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,322,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $104,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, 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 note 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, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 39,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,881,350. The trade was a 8.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded up $0.25 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $149.00. 229,369 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 447,743. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $136.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $135.44. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $117.74 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.57 billion, a PE ratio of 29.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.30 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.