The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. cut its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 10.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 304,112 shares of the company's stock after selling 37,254 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.54% of The Ensign Group worth $34,124,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Baron Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,314 shares of the company's stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,838 shares of the company's stock worth $655,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 8.5% during the fourth quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the company's stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Connable Office Inc. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 3.0% during the third quarter. Connable Office Inc. now owns 3,967 shares of the company's stock worth $369,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 9.2% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,683 shares of the company's stock worth $156,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on ENSG. Oppenheimer raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $124.60.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.6 %

The Ensign Group stock traded up $1.90 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $117.95. 298,475 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 274,809. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $87.14 and a 52-week high of $127.57. The company has a market capitalization of $6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.54, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $121.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.65.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Sunday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 6.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,263 shares of company stock worth $3,735,086 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.