The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,760,000 shares, an increase of 19.5% from the April 30th total of 2,310,000 shares. Currently, 5.0% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 448,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.2 days.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.5%

ENSG traded up $0.69 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $152.38. 291,389 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 448,266. 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 company has a market cap of $8.76 billion, a PE ratio of 29.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $136.16 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.41. The Ensign Group has a one year low of $117.41 and a one year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. The Ensign Group's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,881,350. This trade represents a 8.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company's stock worth $202,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.5% in the first quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,967 shares of the company's stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Wealth Alliance LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.6% in the first quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 1,971 shares of the company's stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company's stock worth $664,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company's stock worth $230,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Macquarie reduced their price objective on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently 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.