Point72 Hong Kong Ltd Purchases New Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 2,018 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $268,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,099,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,278,000 after buying an additional 11,830 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 339.6% in the fourth quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,369,000 after buying an additional 7,961 shares during the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth $263,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $125,430,000 after buying an additional 7,542 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $149.75 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $130.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $135.61. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $116.23 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm has a market capitalization 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. The business’s revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict 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. 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 dividend payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Macquarie reduced 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 note on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target 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, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.50.

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.