The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 11.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 72,345 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,342 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.13% of The Ensign Group worth $8,118,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Carmel Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 43.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $99,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $113,000. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 29.6% during the 3rd quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 1,247 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after buying an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ENSG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.60.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,328,344. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total transaction of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,263 shares of company stock valued at $3,735,086. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $117.95 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $87.14 and a twelve month high of $127.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm has a market cap of $6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day moving average of $121.08 and a 200-day moving average of $114.80.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.32%.

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.