The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $124.60.

ENSG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $117.70 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.97, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95. 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 has a 52 week low of $87.14 and a 52 week high of $127.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $120.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $114.83.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.32%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total transaction of $40,764.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 20,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total transaction of $40,764.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 20,002 shares in the company, valued at $2,329,632.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 20,813 shares of company stock valued at $2,506,203 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Carmel Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at $50,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 43.3% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 1,126.8% during the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 503 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares during the period. 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.