GAMMA Investing LLC Takes $99,000 Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 878 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 13.8% during the third quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 1,000,973 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,020,000 after buying an additional 121,432 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 788,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,275,000 after acquiring an additional 61,127 shares during the period. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 750,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,734,000 after acquiring an additional 23,215 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 25.6% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 725,056 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,379,000 after acquiring an additional 147,698 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.4% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 332,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,863,000 after purchasing an additional 77,511 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $117.25 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.42. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $87.14 and a 52 week high of $127.57. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $121.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.63.

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

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Sunday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.56%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total transaction of $6,844,775.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 155,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,380,739.15. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,328,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

The Ensign Group Company 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.