King Luther Capital Management Corp Increases Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

King Luther Capital Management Corp increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 45,812 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 589 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $6,589,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,661,581 shares of the company’s stock valued at $828,834,000 after buying an additional 39,695 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 2.8% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,322,526 shares of the company’s stock valued at $163,577,000 after acquiring an additional 35,862 shares in the last quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $151,827,000. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 877,211 shares of the company’s stock worth $108,502,000 after purchasing an additional 18,412 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings 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 valued at $70,693,000 after purchasing an additional 59,933 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $147.36 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.44 billion, a PE ratio of 35.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.95. 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 business’s 50-day moving average price is $148.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.57.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. 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.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

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.