The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by LPL Financial LLC

Key Points

• LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 35.5% during the first quarter, owning approximately 0.07% of the company valued at nearly $5 million.
• Analysts have varied opinions on the stock, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a price target of $167.67, reflecting some bullish outlook despite differing price targets among firms.
• Insiders have sold a total of 17,337 shares worth over $2.6 million in the last three months, marking a notable decrease in their ownership, which now stands at 3.90%.

LPL Financial LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 35.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 38,571 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,106 shares during the quarter. LPL Financial LLC owned approximately 0.07% of The Ensign Group worth $4,991,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 23.2% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,298 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 1,564 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.6% during the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company's stock valued at $754,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.7% during the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,506 shares of the company's stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the first quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 36,529 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,727,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $343,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ENSG. Stephens upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Truist Financial upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Macquarie dropped their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $167.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total value of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. This represents a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 17,337 shares of company stock worth $2,611,583. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $166.27 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $150.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.59 billion, a PE ratio of 30.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.02. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $118.73 and a 1 year high of $166.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.54%.

The Ensign Group 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.