The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc.

Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. cut its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 18,114 shares of the company’s stock after selling 83 shares during the period. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 36.1% in the 1st quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 176,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,898,000 after purchasing an additional 46,910 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 19.8% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,806 shares of the company’s stock valued at $363,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $343,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $338,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 109.2% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 39,209 shares in the company, valued at $5,881,350. This represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Macquarie reduced their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $151.24 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $117.91 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $138.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $135.61. The company has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.60, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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 dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 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.