The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.06

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Monday, December 16th,Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.0625 per share on Friday, January 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.18%. 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 has increased its dividend by an average of 4.7% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 17 consecutive years. The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 3.9% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $5.58 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.24 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.3%.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.06 on Monday, reaching $142.36. 192,183 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 371,719. The stock has a market cap of $8.16 billion, a PE ratio of 34.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $110.29 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $147.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.00. 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 issued its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Stephens lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of 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. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $164.33.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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.