The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $158.24 and last traded at $156.10, with a volume of 6794 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $153.37.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. 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. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.20.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 3.9 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $8.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.97, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50 day moving average is $149.68 and its 200 day moving average is $135.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the director now owns 29,125 shares in the company, valued at $4,127,303.75. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,127,303.75. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $842,700.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,057,400. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,118 shares of company stock worth $1,943,620 in the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

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.