The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Raises Dividend to $0.06 Per Share

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) announced a quarterly dividend on Monday, December 16th,Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of 0.0625 per share on Friday, January 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06.

The Ensign Group has raised its dividend by an average of 4.7% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 18 years. The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 4.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $5.58 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.25 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.5%.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.0 %

ENSG opened at $142.36 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group has a 52 week low of $110.29 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 business has a fifty day simple moving average of $147.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.00. The firm has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on ENSG shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

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.