The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Sells $5,805,052.72 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 3.6 %

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $131.00 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $138.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.79. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.72, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its 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%. Analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer raised 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. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

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

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.