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

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

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $130.84 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.50 billion, a PE ratio of 31.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $110.71 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $142.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $142.54.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.05%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.8% in the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 15,897 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,966,000 after purchasing an additional 725 shares during the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 15,863 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,962,000 after buying an additional 349 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $499,000 after buying an additional 440 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 109,812.5% in the 2nd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 8,793 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,088,000 after acquiring an additional 8,785 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $501,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on ENSG shares. Oppenheimer raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Stephens lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective 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. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $161.83.

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.