The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith Sells 700 Shares

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $133.18 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $142.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $142.54. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $110.71 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $7.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.25, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. The Ensign Group’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on 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 analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.83.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth $151,827,000. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $287,061,000 after acquiring an additional 593,779 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the third 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 during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth about $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $18,843,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Company 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.