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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $131.00 on Friday. 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 stock has a market cap of $7.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $138.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.79. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45.

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

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer raised their target price 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. Macquarie lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their target price on 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. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. King Luther Capital Management Corp increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 48,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,495,000 after acquiring an additional 3,071 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 20.7% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 16,201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,152,000 after purchasing an additional 2,774 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 754.8% during the 4th quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 3,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $402,000 after purchasing an additional 2,672 shares during the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 46,721 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,207,000 after purchasing an additional 8,744 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth $3,702,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.