Retirement Systems of Alabama Boosts Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 69,400 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned approximately 0.12% of The Ensign Group worth $8,980,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Forum Financial Management LP raised its position in The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.6% during the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company’s stock valued at $754,000 after buying an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,384 shares of the company’s stock valued at $715,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 38,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the transaction, the director now owns 24,926 shares in the company, 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 have sold a total of 10,257 shares of company stock worth $1,553,090 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $152.17 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $141.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $135.86. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $118.73 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 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 earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.90% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. The Ensign Group’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 30th. This represents a yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Macquarie reduced their price objective on 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.