Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Has $8.27 Million Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 82.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 73,739 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 33,411 shares during the quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned 0.13% of The Ensign Group worth $8,274,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,481,000 after purchasing an additional 30,184 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 24.9% in the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 201,143 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,692,000 after acquiring an additional 40,050 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 8.0% in the third quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 12,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.4% during the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 31,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,885,000 after acquiring an additional 4,593 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,520,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $117.82 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The stock has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a PE ratio of 32.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.94. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $122.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $112.42. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $87.14 and a 1-year high of $127.57.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.61% and a return on equity of 17.84%. The company had revenue of $980.38 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $975.13 million. As a group, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Sunday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.56%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $119.20.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at $17,328,344. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 57,982 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.05, for a total transaction of $6,844,775.10. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 155,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,380,739.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 89,245 shares of company stock worth $10,579,862 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.