Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $3.16 Million in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 28,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,164,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Natixis purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Carmel Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 206 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the 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 directly owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 84,782 shares of company stock worth $10,048,943 over the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded down $0.59 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $118.69. 199,871 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 265,802. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business's fifty day moving average is $122.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $112.20. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $87.14 and a one year high of $127.57. The stock has a market cap of $6.75 billion, a PE ratio of 32.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $975.13 million. As a group, analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.56%.

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.