Copeland Capital Management LLC Acquires 7,542 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 944,077 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 7,542 shares during the period. The Ensign Group comprises approximately 2.3% of Copeland Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Copeland Capital Management LLC owned 1.65% of The Ensign Group worth $125,430,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth about $151,827,000. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company's stock worth $287,061,000 after buying an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company's stock worth $93,449,000 after buying an additional 229,586 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $18,843,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on ENSG. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. One 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 stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $167.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG traded up $2.40 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $147.77. The company's stock had a trading volume of 306,516 shares, compared to its average volume of 400,427. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.47 billion, a PE ratio of 35.78, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $138.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $143.81. 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 current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group 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.