Barry Smith Sells 700 Shares of The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.59, for a total value of $121,513.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 23,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,105,750.68. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $178.38 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $179.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $169.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.46. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.73 and a 52-week high of $193.99.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.77% and a net margin of 6.80%.The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.39 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 19.8% compared to the same quarter last year. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. Research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.065 per share. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.65%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on ENSG. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price target (up from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, November 14th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Stephens upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $196.40.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 125.6% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 76.9% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Company Profile

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company’s model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.