Victory Capital Management Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Victory Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 10.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 304,112 shares of the company’s stock after selling 37,254 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $34,124,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 147,698 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $13,578,000. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. increased its holdings 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 worth $93,020,000 after purchasing an additional 121,432 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 51.1% during the 3rd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 274,881 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,545,000 after purchasing an additional 93,003 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 77,511 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

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

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 6,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 31,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,754,646.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 31,263 shares of company stock valued at $3,735,086. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.60.

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.