Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,114 shares of the company’s stock after selling 83 shares during the quarter. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,344,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 339.6% during the fourth quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after buying an additional 7,961 shares during the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $476,000. Bridge City Capital LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. Bridge City Capital LLC now owns 77,308 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,271,000 after purchasing an additional 5,790 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,167,000. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 12.7% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 4,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $624,000 after purchasing an additional 528 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Macquarie dropped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.50.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $151.24 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $138.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $135.61. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $117.91 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.60, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.73%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,881,350. The trade was a 8.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 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.