The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives $161.83 Average Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $165.17.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Macquarie increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised 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. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price 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, January 6th.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $129.23 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $137.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $143.81. 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 stock has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.29, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390 over the last quarter. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. 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.