The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Given New $135.00 Price Target at Oppenheimer

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) had its price target lifted by Oppenheimer from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note released on Monday, Benzinga reports. Oppenheimer currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

ENSG has been the topic of several other research reports. Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $124.60.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $117.70 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $120.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $114.83. The firm has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group has a fifty-two week low of $87.14 and a fifty-two week high of $127.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 6.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 20,002 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.67, for a total value of $718,020.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 31,375 shares in the company, valued at $3,754,646.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 20,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,329,632.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,813 shares of company stock valued at $2,506,203. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 295,716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,481,000 after purchasing an additional 30,184 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 24.9% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 201,143 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,692,000 after acquiring an additional 40,050 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 12,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,150,000 after acquiring an additional 914 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 17.4% during the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 31,050 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,885,000 after purchasing an additional 4,593 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,520,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

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.