The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Daren Shaw Sells 1,999 Shares

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG stock opened at $147.70 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $130.84 and its 200-day moving average is $135.29. 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 market cap of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $116.23 and a twelve month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 260.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,430,000 after buying an additional 77,514 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 20.8% in the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 10,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,333,000 after buying an additional 1,730 shares in the last quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at $263,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,278,000 after buying an additional 11,830 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sheets Smith Wealth Management increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 5,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $734,000 after buying an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on ENSG. Macquarie reduced their price objective on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.50.

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.