The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the six research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $164.33.

Several research firms have recently commented on ENSG. Stephens lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 target price for the company.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at $49,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 21.2% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased 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 worth $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.06 during trading on Monday, reaching $142.36. The company's stock had a trading volume of 192,183 shares, compared to its average volume of 371,719. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $147.45 and a 200 day moving average of $140.83. The Ensign Group has a one year low of $110.29 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.16 billion, a PE ratio of 34.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The Ensign Group's quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. Analysts expect that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 6.05%.

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.