Kent Lake Capital LLC Cuts Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Kent Lake Capital LLC decreased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 20.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,000 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,000 shares during the period. The Ensign Group comprises 3.5% of Kent Lake Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Kent Lake Capital LLC owned about 0.14% of The Ensign Group worth $8,977,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Natixis bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Carmel Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 117.7% during the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 381 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.8 %

ENSG stock traded up $0.94 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $119.72. The company's stock had a trading volume of 242,416 shares, compared to its average volume of 245,338. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $87.14 and a 52 week high of $127.57. The stock has a market cap of $6.81 billion, a PE ratio of 32.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $121.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $111.00.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.61% and a return on equity of 17.84%. The firm had revenue of $980.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $975.13 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is 6.56%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total transaction of $6,844,775.10. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 155,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,380,739.15. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total transaction of $6,844,775.10. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 155,703 shares in the company, valued at $18,380,739.15. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at $17,328,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 84,782 shares of company stock valued at $10,048,943 over the last three months. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ENSG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $119.20.

About The Ensign Group

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.