Franklin Resources Inc. Raises Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 15.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 314,700 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 42,072 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 0.55% of The Ensign Group worth $46,522,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at about $49,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted 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 worth $53,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Stephens increased 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. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One investment 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 presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $140.00 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $110.29 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $8.02 billion, a PE ratio of 33.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $147.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $141.00. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.18%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.05%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company 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.