Virtu Financial LLC Buys Shares of 10,478 The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 10,478 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,507,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 3,018 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company's stock valued at $982,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 21.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harfst & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the second quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 12,221 shares of the company's stock worth $1,512,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $1.14 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $142.42. 292,064 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 372,464. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $109.95 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.48, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $147.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $140.51. 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 Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $164.33.

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.