The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Sells $5,805,052.72 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $3.49 on Wednesday, reaching $148.86. 852,392 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 425,532. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $8.53 billion, a PE ratio of 36.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $138.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.81.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 6.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $167.17.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Synovus Financial Corp grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,102,000 after purchasing an additional 6,931 shares during the period. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 210.9% in the third quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,388,000 after buying an additional 6,545 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% in the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,038,000 after buying an additional 5,632 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the third quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,740,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after acquiring an additional 78,570 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is 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.