The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.06

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, September 13th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.06 per share on Thursday, October 31st. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th.

The Ensign Group has increased its dividend by an average of 4.7% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 17 years. The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 4.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $5.54 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.24 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.3%.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG traded up $0.82 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $152.73. The stock had a trading volume of 351,188 shares, compared to its average volume of 305,856. The company has a market cap of $8.72 billion, a PE ratio of 40.19, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $141.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $128.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The Ensign Group has a fifty-two week low of $90.00 and a fifty-two week high of $153.64.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.02 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 5.68%. The business’s revenue was up 12.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.08 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 31st. Macquarie began coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, June 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, COO Spencer Burton sold 3,099 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.19, for a total transaction of $422,052.81. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 42,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,805,643.51. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 3,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.00, for a total value of $420,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,520,240. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Spencer Burton sold 3,099 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.19, for a total value of $422,052.81. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 42,629 shares in the company, valued at $5,805,643.51. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 24,736 shares of company stock valued at $3,491,039 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.