Analysts Set The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Price Target at $161.83

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $165.17.

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday. Macquarie raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 8.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $135.91 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $138.08 and its 200-day moving average is $143.79. 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 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The company has a market capitalization of $7.79 billion, a PE ratio of 32.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Finally, USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $54,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by 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.