The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $164.33.

ENSG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $49,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 21.2% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $134.59 on Monday. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $110.71 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The company has a market capitalization of $7.71 billion, a PE ratio of 32.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $146.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $141.44.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.10 EPS. The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors 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 yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.05%.

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.