Polar Capital Holdings Plc Takes Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Polar Capital Holdings Plc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 16,619 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,208,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded down $1.72 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $144.35. 57,098 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 441,956. The stock's 50-day moving average is $131.72 and its 200-day moving average is $135.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market cap of $8.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $116.23 and a 52 week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, research 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lowered their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One investment 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 presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.50.

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.