The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Now Covered by Analysts at UBS Group

UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on ENSG. Oppenheimer raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $146.82 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $8.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.68, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.95. 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 has a one year low of $104.18 and a one year high of $158.45. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $148.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $137.57.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The company’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 5.81%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $842,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,057,400. This trade represents a 9.47 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 294.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 9,726 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,203,000 after purchasing an additional 7,262 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 14.4% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 52,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,486,000 after purchasing an additional 6,583 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $3,500,000. AXA S.A. boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 54,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,757,000 after purchasing an additional 4,684 shares during the period. Finally, BDF Gestion acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,577,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

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.