The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives $163.50 Consensus PT from Analysts

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings 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 brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $163.50.

Separately, Macquarie reduced their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $151.24 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The Ensign Group has a 1 year low of $117.91 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $138.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.61. The firm has a market cap of $8.70 billion, a PE ratio of 29.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.73%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $530,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,881,350. The trade was a 8.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total transaction of $290,794.53. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,625,985.22. This represents a 7.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rise Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

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.