Benjamin Edwards Inc. Has $364,000 Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 275.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,532 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,857 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $364,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $151,827,000. FMR LLC increased 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 valued at $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $18,843,000. F M Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $14,370,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $9,565,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.4 %

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $142.14 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $106.36 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $147.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $140.17. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $8.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.42, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.92.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The Ensign Group’s revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 5.81%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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.