Trexquant Investment LP Has $8.37 Million Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Trexquant Investment LP lifted its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 181.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,026 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 40,648 shares during the quarter. Trexquant Investment LP owned 0.11% of The Ensign Group worth $8,374,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,102,000 after acquiring an additional 6,931 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 67.9% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company's stock worth $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,632 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company's stock worth $54,595,000 after acquiring an additional 78,570 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.4% in the third quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 70,896 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,201,000 after purchasing an additional 3,657 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,099,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the sale, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG traded up $5.54 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $129.29. 733,584 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 425,501. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The firm's fifty day moving average is $130.16 and its 200 day moving average is $138.54.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.17.

About The Ensign Group

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.