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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $119.20.

Several research firms recently commented on ENSG. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.67, for a total value of $718,020.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 31,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,754,646.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 84,782 shares of company stock valued at $10,048,943. 4.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Natixis bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Carmel Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $125.62 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a current ratio of 1.42. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $120.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $109.61. The Ensign Group has a 52 week low of $87.14 and a 52 week high of $127.57.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.17. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 5.61%. The company had revenue of $980.38 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $975.13 million. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 4.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st will be issued a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 6.56%.

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.