Insider Selling: The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Sells 39,086 Shares of Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 3.6 %

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $131.00 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $138.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.79. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.51 billion, a PE ratio of 31.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94. 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial cut their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Macquarie boosted 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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