Analysts Set The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Price Target at $165.17

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $165.17.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $128.74 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of 25.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $132.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $140.15. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. As a group, research analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.89%.

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.