The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Macquarie Analyst Says

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) had its target price boosted by equities researchers at Macquarie from $165.00 to $166.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Macquarie’s target price indicates a potential upside of 11.51% from the stock’s previous close.

ENSG has been the topic of several other reports. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Stephens increased 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 report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $167.17.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $148.86 on Tuesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $138.28 and its 200-day moving average is $143.85. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $8.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.04, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.6% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 7,084 shares of the company’s stock valued at $876,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.1% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 32,519 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,022,000 after purchasing an additional 1,272 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in The Ensign Group by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 20,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,594,000 after purchasing an additional 446 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $972,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 12,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,836,000 after buying an additional 1,600 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.