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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $164.33.

A number of research firms have issued reports on ENSG. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price 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. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial boosted their price target 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. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company’s stock valued at $982,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 3,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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. Finally, Harfst & Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 12,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,512,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $134.59 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $7.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The Ensign Group has a 1 year low of $110.71 and a 1 year high of $158.45. 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 has a fifty day simple moving average of $146.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.16.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The company 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 quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.05%.

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.