The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Position Reduced by Values First Advisors Inc.

Values First Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 26,053 shares of the company’s stock after selling 752 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group makes up 1.9% of Values First Advisors Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,461,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at $471,000. Creative Planning lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 74.0% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 63,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,179,000 after acquiring an additional 27,140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 175.0% in the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 3,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $475,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $129.08 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. 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 business has a 50-day moving average of $137.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $143.72. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Macquarie upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. 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.