Insider Selling: The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Sells $283,420.00 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,127,303.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.7 %

ENSG stock opened at $144.75 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $90.00 and a one year high of $147.93. The company has a market capitalization of $8.24 billion, a PE ratio of 38.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $132.97 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $124.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.53.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.30 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.68% and a return on equity of 17.32%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.08 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 28th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 6.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented on ENSG. Macquarie assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, June 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target for the company. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $65,050,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,621,886 shares of the company’s stock valued at $743,042,000 after buying an additional 310,182 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,620,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $294,031,000 after buying an additional 221,838 shares during the period. F M Investments LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth $14,370,000. Finally, Axiom Investors LLC DE increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 142.8% in the fourth quarter. Axiom Investors LLC DE now owns 187,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,022,000 after acquiring an additional 110,177 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.