The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith Sells 700 Shares of Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $130.06 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $110.71 and a 12 month high of $158.45. 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 business has a 50 day simple moving average of $143.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of 31.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share 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. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ENSG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a 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. Stephens increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial cut their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Finally, Oppenheimer upped 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 analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.83.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its position in 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. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,288 shares of the company’s stock worth $304,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after acquiring an additional 78,570 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in The Ensign Group by 15.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 314,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,522,000 after acquiring an additional 42,072 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp raised its position in The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,102,000 after acquiring an additional 6,931 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

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.