Bryce Point Capital LLC Buys Shares of 3,544 The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Bryce Point Capital LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,544 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $471,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Trexquant Investment LP raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 181.6% in the 4th quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 63,026 shares of the company's stock worth $8,374,000 after acquiring an additional 40,648 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 32.7% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 417,482 shares of the company's stock worth $55,467,000 after buying an additional 102,782 shares during the period. Axiom Investors LLC DE increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE now owns 156,844 shares of the company's stock valued at $20,838,000 after acquiring an additional 2,650 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.2% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 252,294 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,520,000 after acquiring an additional 88,643 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intrust Bank NA lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 4,239 shares of the company's stock valued at $563,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 2.7 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock traded down $3.53 during trading on Thursday, hitting $125.76. The company's stock had a trading volume of 59,218 shares, compared to its average volume of 424,090. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company has a market capitalization of $7.23 billion, a PE ratio of 24.61, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $130.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $138.54. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial lowered their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.17.

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.