Insider Selling: The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Sells $96,936.00 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 3.6 %

Shares of ENSG opened at $131.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $7.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $138.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted 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. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Oppenheimer upped their price objective 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. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Macquarie increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the period. Finally, USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at about $54,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.