The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.06 on January 31st

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, December 13th,Wall Street Journal reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of 0.0625 per share on Friday, January 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06.

The Ensign Group has raised its dividend by an average of 4.7% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 18 years. The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 4.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research 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 $0.25 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.5%.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $133.98 on Friday. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $110.71 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.44, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $145.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $141.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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. Stephens increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. 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, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.33.

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.