The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock Holdings Boosted by Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 27,017 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 884 shares during the quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,032,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 6,768 shares of the company’s stock valued at $608,000 after purchasing an additional 1,839 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 52,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,725,000 after purchasing an additional 4,140 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at $957,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 54.5% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 28,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,535,000 after purchasing an additional 9,942 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 136,982 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,330,000 after acquiring an additional 6,609 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG opened at $117.82 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $122.09 and a 200-day moving average of $112.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.19, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $87.14 and a 12-month high of $127.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The company had revenue of $980.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $975.13 million. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 5.61%. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st will be issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 6.56%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,836,460. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 89,245 shares of company stock worth $10,579,862 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ENSG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.20.

The Ensign Group 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.