Intrust Bank NA Purchases 273 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Intrust Bank NA increased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 6.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,339 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the quarter. Intrust Bank NA’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $487,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.4% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,481,000 after acquiring an additional 30,184 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 24.9% in the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 201,143 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,692,000 after acquiring an additional 40,050 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 8.0% in the third quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 12,376 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,150,000 after purchasing an additional 914 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 17.4% in the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 31,050 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,885,000 after purchasing an additional 4,593 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth $2,520,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $118.36 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $6.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.34, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $87.14 and a twelve month high of $127.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The company has a 50 day moving average of $121.72 and a 200 day moving average of $114.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.61% and a return on equity of 17.84%. The firm had revenue of $980.38 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $975.13 million. As a group, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ENSG. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $123.60.

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.