The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives $161.83 Consensus PT from Analysts

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $165.17.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on ENSG. Macquarie boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Truist Financial cut 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 note on Monday, January 6th.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock worth $5,995,390. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. CWM LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division increased its position in The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 8.7 %

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $135.91 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average of $138.08 and a 200-day moving average of $143.79. The company has a market cap of $7.79 billion, a PE ratio of 32.91, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 6.05%.

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.