The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Short Interest Update

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of November. As of November 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,210,000 shares, an increase of 11.1% from the October 31st total of 1,990,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 579,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.8 days. Approximately 4.0% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $151,827,000. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $287,061,000 after buying an additional 593,779 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,449,000 after buying an additional 229,586 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $18,843,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.7 %

The Ensign Group stock traded down $1.06 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $145.15. 248,314 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 375,920. The firm has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The Ensign Group has a 1 year low of $104.18 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $148.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $139.12.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.10 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 5.81%.

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.