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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’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 owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.8 %

ENSG traded down $2.44 on Monday, hitting $130.06. 619,765 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 476,488. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $143.52 and its 200-day moving average is $142.40. The company has a market cap of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of 31.49, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $110.71 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS 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 the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $49,000. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 294.2% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 477 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Truist Financial dropped 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. Oppenheimer raised 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. Stephens upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $161.83.

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.