Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Purchases 2,091 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 79,046 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,091 shares during the quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. owned 0.14% of The Ensign Group worth $8,870,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Carmel Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 43.3% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $99,000. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $113,000. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 29.6% in the 3rd quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 1,247 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after buying an additional 285 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $117.25. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 159,379 shares, compared to its average volume of 265,089. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $87.14 and a 52 week high of $127.57. The stock has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a PE ratio of 30.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $121.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.35.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.61% and a return on equity of 17.84%. The business had revenue of $980.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $975.13 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Sunday, March 31st will be issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.56%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $123.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total value of $6,844,775.10. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 155,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,380,739.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862 in the last three months. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.