The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc.

D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. boosted its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 64.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 174,844 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 68,619 shares during the quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. owned 0.30% of The Ensign Group worth $23,230,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $136.68 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.75, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $116.23 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $128.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.65.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly 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 Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.18%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on ENSG shares. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie decreased their target price 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 analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.50.

The Ensign Group 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.