Barry M. Smith Sells 700 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG stock opened at $130.84 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $7.50 billion, a PE ratio of 31.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a 50 day moving average of $142.57 and a 200-day moving average of $142.54. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $110.71 and a 12-month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on ENSG shares. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Stephens boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.83.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at $49,000. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth $54,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 294.2% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 477 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.