Brokerages Set The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Target Price at $165.17

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $165.17.

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Macquarie lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Truist Financial cut 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 report on Monday, January 6th.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $90,747,000. FMR LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the 3rd 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. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth $36,167,000. 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 last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company’s stock worth $124,613,000 after acquiring an additional 197,865 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $128.74 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The company has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $132.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.15. The Ensign Group has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.89%.

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.