Raymond James Financial Inc. Invests $36.17 Million in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 272,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,167,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.47% of The Ensign Group as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 260.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,430,000 after buying an additional 77,514 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,507,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,632 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth about $21,744,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $200,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. 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, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $128.18 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $128.95 and its 200 day moving average is $137.92. The company has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.08, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.89%.

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.