King Luther Capital Management Corp Buys 3,071 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

King Luther Capital Management Corp boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 6.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 48,883 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,071 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp owned about 0.09% of The Ensign Group worth $6,495,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.5% in the 3rd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 31,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,551,000 after acquiring an additional 4,707 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $151,827,000. Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $434,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.5% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 245,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,283,000 after purchasing an additional 51,367 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KBC Group NV lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.8% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $128.35 on Wednesday. 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 firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $133.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $142.09. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.12, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

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.