Barclays PLC Boosts Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 39.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 149,182 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 41,894 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.26% of The Ensign Group worth $19,820,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 61.2% in the 4th quarter. Grandeur Peak Global Advisors LLC now owns 67,752 shares of the company's stock worth $9,002,000 after buying an additional 25,719 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,463 shares of the company's stock worth $194,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Capital Fund Management S.A. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth $3,481,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 204,004 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,104,000 after purchasing an additional 7,884 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at $36,167,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock traded up $0.79 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $124.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 259,685 shares, compared to its average volume of 428,065. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45. 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 company has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.45, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $128.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $137.21.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction 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 is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.