1,935 Shares in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Purchased by Sapient Capital LLC

Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $217,000.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baron Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,314 shares of the company’s stock worth $260,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,838 shares of the company’s stock worth $655,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 1,353 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Connable Office Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Connable Office Inc. now owns 3,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, 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 sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following 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 quarter, insiders sold 31,263 shares of company stock valued at $3,735,086. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $117.95 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $87.14 and a 12-month high of $127.57. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $121.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ENSG. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective 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 company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.60.

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.