Franklin Resources Inc. Buys 42,072 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 15.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 314,700 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 42,072 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.55% of The Ensign Group worth $46,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at $151,827,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $18,843,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $140.00 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $110.29 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $147.43 and its 200-day moving average is $141.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.90, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.10 earnings per share. The Ensign Group’s revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on ENSG shares. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of 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 shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group 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.