The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the six brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $161.83.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on ENSG shares. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. CWM LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 7.3% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company's stock worth $157,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company's stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.3% in the third quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,911 shares of the company's stock valued at $706,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Alliance boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 1,940 shares of the company's stock valued at $240,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock traded down $2.23 on Friday, reaching $130.95. The company's stock had a trading volume of 360,735 shares, compared to its average volume of 433,289. The Ensign Group has a 52-week low of $110.71 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The company has a market capitalization of $7.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.71, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $141.67 and a 200-day moving average price of $142.41.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 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.