Raymond James Trust N.A. Buys 1,737 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 78.6% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 3,948 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $568,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $151,827,000. F M Investments LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $14,370,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $9,565,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 571,532 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,693,000 after acquiring an additional 59,933 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.5% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 245,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,283,000 after acquiring an additional 51,367 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The stock was 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 owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of 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 began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $145.20 on Tuesday. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $104.18 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company has a market capitalization of $8.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.16, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.95. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $148.76 and its 200 day moving average is $138.14.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

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.