The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Bought by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 98.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,838 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 17,768 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.06% of The Ensign Group worth $4,760,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company's stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company's stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company's stock valued at $955,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG traded down $2.37 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $146.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 42,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 441,333. 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 simple moving average of $131.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $135.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $116.23 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The business 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 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. Analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were issued 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on ENSG. Macquarie lowered their target price on 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. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 6,238 shares of company stock valued at $912,050. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.