Cwm LLC Trims Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Cwm LLC trimmed its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 13.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 926 shares of the company’s stock after selling 142 shares during the period. Cwm LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $104,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 25.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 725,056 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,379,000 after acquiring an additional 147,698 shares in the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $13,578,000. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. raised its position in The Ensign Group by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 1,000,973 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,020,000 after purchasing an additional 121,432 shares in the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 51.1% in the 3rd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 274,881 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,545,000 after buying an additional 93,003 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.4% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 332,115 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,863,000 after buying an additional 77,511 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 6,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.67, for a total transaction of $718,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 31,375 shares in the company, valued at $3,754,646.25. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 31,263 shares of company stock worth $3,735,086 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. 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. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.60.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $116.05 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $121.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $87.14 and a twelve month high of $127.57. The company has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were given a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.21%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.32%.

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.