Insider Selling: The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) COO Sells $1,015,365.76 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) COO Spencer Burton sold 7,519 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.04, for a total value of $1,015,365.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 42,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,756,620.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Spencer Burton also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, July 15th, Spencer Burton sold 3,099 shares of The Ensign Group stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.19, for a total transaction of $422,052.81.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $138.52 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $7.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.99. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $89.44 and a one year high of $142.01. The business has a fifty day moving average of $122.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.53.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 31st. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.32%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.4% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,481,000 after buying an additional 30,184 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 77,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,205,000 after acquiring an additional 4,803 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Resource Council purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $828,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $211,000. Finally, Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.0% in the fourth quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 3,194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $358,000 after purchasing an additional 880 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Macquarie began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, June 28th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price objective for the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $132.83.

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.