2,018 Shares in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Acquired by Point72 Hong Kong Ltd

Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,018 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $268,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,497,137 shares of the company's stock worth $464,630,000 after acquiring an additional 159,691 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,082,647 shares of the company's stock valued at $276,701,000 after purchasing an additional 86,676 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $125,430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,542 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock worth $124,613,000 after purchasing an additional 197,865 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $90,747,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded down $2.05 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $147.70. The stock had a trading volume of 607,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 442,770. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $116.23 and a one year high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $8.49 billion, a PE ratio of 28.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $130.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.29. 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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 earnings per share. The Ensign Group's revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lowered their price objective 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 given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $163.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 39,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,881,350. This trade represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,238 shares of company stock valued at $912,050 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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.