Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Raises Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 82.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 73,739 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 33,411 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned about 0.13% of The Ensign Group worth $8,274,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Baron Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,314 shares of the company's stock worth $260,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,838 shares of the company's stock worth $655,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Connable Office Inc. increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 3.0% during the third quarter. Connable Office Inc. now owns 3,967 shares of the company's stock worth $369,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 2.6% during the third quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 4,654 shares of the company's stock worth $433,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 28,295 shares of the company's stock worth $2,677,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on ENSG. Oppenheimer raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $119.20.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded down $1.34 during trading on Thursday, reaching $116.48. The stock had a trading volume of 265,277 shares, compared to its average volume of 265,102. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.14 and a fifty-two week high of $127.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.42. The business's 50-day moving average price is $122.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $112.44. The company has a market cap of $6.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.83, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 5.61%. The business had revenue of $980.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $975.13 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Sunday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.21%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 6.56%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About The Ensign Group

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.