The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Sells $259,320.00 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $127.12 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $135.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.10. The company has a market cap of $7.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.88, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.94. 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 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 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CWM LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,538,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after buying an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Equitable Trust Co. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ENSG. Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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. Macquarie boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

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.