Analysts Set The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Price Target at $124.60

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $124.60.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 16,813 shares of company stock valued at $2,024,703 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. LRI Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Natixis lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 39.6% in the first quarter. Natixis now owns 398 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.3 %

The Ensign Group stock opened at $119.41 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $118.72 and a 200-day moving average price of $117.72. The Ensign Group has a 1-year low of $88.79 and a 1-year high of $127.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.42, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.99.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 5.67%. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 4.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

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.