The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Holdings Raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 26.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 379,608 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 78,570 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.66% of The Ensign Group worth $54,595,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the 3rd 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 period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $49,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 294.2% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 477 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 356 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $132.50 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 32.08, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $143.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $142.26. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $110.71 and a twelve month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 6.05%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.33.

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.