Texas Permanent School Fund Corp Has $6.12 Million Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Texas Permanent School Fund Corp boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 49,193 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp owned 0.09% of The Ensign Group worth $6,121,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.4% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,481,000 after buying an additional 30,184 shares during the last quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,993,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,621,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $743,042,000 after purchasing an additional 310,182 shares during the period. UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 102.9% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 64,828 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,274,000 after purchasing an additional 32,884 shares during the period. Finally, King Luther Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $1,691,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG traded up $1.95 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $135.06. 27,531 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 283,672. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.03, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50-day moving average of $120.88 and a 200 day moving average of $119.82. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $89.44 and a one year high of $135.30.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company 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 dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.32%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on ENSG. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Macquarie began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, June 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $126.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 20,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total transaction 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 6,813 shares of company stock worth $808,203. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.