The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.06

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, June 14th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Sunday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of 0.06 per share on Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th.

The Ensign Group has raised its dividend by an average of 4.7% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 17 consecutive years. The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 4.0% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $5.46 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.24 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.4%.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.4 %

ENSG opened at $120.66 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $119.04 and its 200-day moving average is $118.72. The Ensign Group has a 1-year low of $88.79 and a 1-year high of $127.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The company has a market cap of $6.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.75, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.99.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total value of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 32,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 20,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,813 shares of company stock worth $808,203 in the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.60.

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.