ProShare Advisors LLC Purchases 13,314 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

ProShare Advisors LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 22.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 71,608 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 13,314 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.12% of The Ensign Group worth $9,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $664,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $149.75 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $116.23 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $130.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.47. The firm has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Macquarie dropped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.50.

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.