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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $165.17.

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth about $90,747,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,167,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 54.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,613,000 after purchasing an additional 197,865 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG stock opened at $128.74 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 $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of 25.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The business has a 50 day moving average of $132.31 and a 200-day moving average of $140.00. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

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.