MQS Management LLC Invests $271,000 in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 2,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $271,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 39.0% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 17.9% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 585 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 109.2% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,000 after acquiring an additional 429 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. This represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $107,436.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,274,724.96. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 19,336 shares of company stock worth $2,902,377. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $145.75 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $147.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $136.96. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.73 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $8.38 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The Ensign Group’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.73%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Macquarie dropped their price target on 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus 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.