The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Down 5.5% Following Weak Earnings

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) were down 5.5% on Thursday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $140.98 and last traded at $140.67. Approximately 108,633 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 74% from the average daily volume of 411,240 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.86.

The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is a boost from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group 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 transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 6.6% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 7,084 shares of the company's stock worth $876,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $471,000. Finally, Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 74.0% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 63,823 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,179,000 after buying an additional 27,140 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The company has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The firm's fifty day moving average is $137.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.86.

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.