The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock Position Raised by UMB Bank n.a.

UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 109.2% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 822 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 429 shares during the quarter. UMB Bank n.a.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $106,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth about $38,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $104,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.2%

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $151.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a PE ratio of 29.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $117.91 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $137.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $135.58.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm’s revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid 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 of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 39,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,881,350. The trade was a 8.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. The trade was a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.