LPL Financial LLC Acquires 9,230 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 48.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 28,465 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,230 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,782,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $36,167,000. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $21,744,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,595,000 after buying an additional 78,570 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 260.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company's stock worth $15,430,000 after buying an additional 77,514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $9,193,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.13 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $128.96. 17,171 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 424,159. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $129.00 and a 200-day moving average of $137.98.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.