The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Christopher R. Christensen Sells 39,086 Shares of Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 2.4 %

ENSG stock opened at $148.86 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $138.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $143.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.04, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. 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 quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.05%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in The Ensign Group by 90.2% during the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,102,000 after purchasing an additional 6,931 shares during the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 210.9% during the 3rd quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,388,000 after buying an additional 6,545 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,038,000 after buying an additional 5,632 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the third quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,740,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,595,000 after acquiring an additional 78,570 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the topic of several research reports. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group initiated 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 raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock 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 given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $167.17.

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.