Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Increases Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,483 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the period. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on ENSG. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, 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 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.83.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $142.42 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a PE ratio of 34.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. 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 $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $138.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.74.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.05%.

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.