The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSGGet Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,440,000 shares, a growth of 11.9% from the November 30th total of 2,180,000 shares. Currently, 4.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 552,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.4 days.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 12,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,512,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Equitable Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.3% in the third quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,911 shares of the company’s stock worth $706,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.9 %

The Ensign Group stock traded down $1.17 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $132.81. The stock had a trading volume of 143,493 shares, compared to its average volume of 369,992. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $145.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.98. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $110.71 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $7.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSGGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.03 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ENSG has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Stephens boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

Read Our Latest Research Report on The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

Further Reading

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