Deutsche Bank AG Boosts Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 48.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 48,795 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 15,868 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $6,483,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Macquarie lowered their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $149.75 on Friday. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $116.23 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $130.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $135.47.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis 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%.

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.