Cetera Investment Advisers Has $3.21 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 5.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,139 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,207,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock worth $955,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Macquarie decreased their target price 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. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $149.75 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $130.40 and a 200-day moving average of $135.61. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $116.23 and a 1-year high of $158.45. 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 company has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a PE ratio of 29.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.73%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.