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

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $161.83.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on 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 cut their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Stephens lifted 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.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $136.33 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 Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $110.71 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $7.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.93. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $139.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $142.83.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group 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. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.18%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $49,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.