The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings 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 1-year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $165.17.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price target on 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 Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 16.7% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $973,000 after buying an additional 969 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.0% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 800,606 shares of the company’s stock valued at $115,143,000 after acquiring an additional 23,381 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 78.6% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,948 shares of the company’s stock worth $568,000 after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 25.4% in the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 59,877 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,612,000 after purchasing an additional 12,114 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 164.9% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 4,442 shares of the company’s stock worth $639,000 after purchasing an additional 2,765 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $130.45 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $131.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $139.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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