Voya Investment Management LLC Reduces Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Voya Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 25.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,609 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,526 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,207,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of ENSG. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 90.2% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,102,000 after purchasing an additional 6,931 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,595,000 after buying an additional 78,570 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,099,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company's stock worth $17,278,000 after buying an additional 11,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 339.6% during the 4th quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company's stock worth $1,369,000 after buying an additional 7,961 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie cut 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 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's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded up $0.39 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $136.67. 54,962 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 429,987. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $115.79 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.86 billion, a PE ratio of 26.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $128.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.93.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 Ensign Group's quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.18%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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.