Janus Henderson Group PLC Grows Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 16.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 82,849 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 11,953 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned about 0.14% of The Ensign Group worth $11,005,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $90,747,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,167,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in The Ensign Group by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock worth $124,613,000 after buying an additional 197,865 shares during the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $22,777,000. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,497,137 shares of the company's stock valued at $464,630,000 after acquiring an additional 159,691 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 39,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm'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 value of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,238 shares of company stock worth $912,050 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ENSG. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lowered their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock traded down $1.81 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $144.26. The company had a trading volume of 46,303 shares, compared to its average volume of 441,904. The company has a market capitalization of $8.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $116.23 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The company's fifty day moving average is $131.72 and its 200-day moving average is $135.46. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid 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 was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

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.