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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from 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 target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $161.83.

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

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

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $133.18 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.92. The Ensign Group has a 52-week low of $110.71 and a 52-week high of $158.45. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $142.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $142.48.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 5.81%.

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.