The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at UBS Group

UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) in a report published on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on ENSG. Royal Bank of Canada boosted 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. Stephens increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.7 %

ENSG stock opened at $146.36 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $104.18 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $148.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $137.85. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The firm’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 5.81%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at about $34,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $49,000. 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.