The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Sets New 12-Month High at $128.12

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $128.12 and last traded at $126.28, with a volume of 80413 shares. The stock had previously closed at $125.93.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Macquarie assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Friday, June 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $126.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $7.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $119.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.16.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 5.67%. The company had revenue of $1.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. On average, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Sunday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total transaction of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the transaction, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total transaction of $40,764.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,813 shares of company stock worth $808,203. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at $34,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth about $45,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Finally, Natixis raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 39.6% in the 1st quarter. Natixis now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.