NBC Securities Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

NBC Securities Inc. raised its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 5.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,498 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the quarter. NBC Securities Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $435,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 29.1% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 13,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,271,000 after acquiring an additional 3,085 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.4% in the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 31,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,885,000 after acquiring an additional 4,593 shares during the period. Paralel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.3% during the third quarter. Paralel Advisors LLC now owns 20,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,862,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $472,000. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $894,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the sale, the director now owns 20,002 shares in the company, valued at $2,329,632.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 20,002 shares in the company, valued at $2,329,632.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.26, for a total transaction of $236,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,577,365. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 6,813 shares of company stock worth $808,203. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $121.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.89 billion, a PE ratio of 31.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.99. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $88.79 and a fifty-two week high of $127.57. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $118.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $118.35.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.67% and a return on equity of 17.60%. Analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Sunday, June 30th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.32%.

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.