Invesco Ltd. Increases Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Invesco Ltd. grew its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 45.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 301,829 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 93,633 shares during the quarter. Invesco Ltd. owned approximately 0.53% of The Ensign Group worth $40,101,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 32,883 shares of the company's stock worth $4,369,000 after acquiring an additional 711 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,082,647 shares of the company's stock valued at $276,701,000 after purchasing an additional 86,676 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 336,831 shares of the company's stock worth $44,751,000 after purchasing an additional 1,939 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 67,180 shares of the company's stock worth $8,925,000 after buying an additional 4,082 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,677 shares of the company's stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG traded up $2.13 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $122.06. 346,149 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 428,033. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The business's 50 day moving average is $128.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $137.30. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its 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%. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on ENSG shares. Macquarie lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research 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.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Company 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.