The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) to Issue $0.06 Quarterly Dividend

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, March 21st, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of 0.0625 per share on Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st.

The Ensign Group has a payout ratio of 3.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $6.17 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.25 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.1%.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of ENSG stock traded down $1.27 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $128.32. 494,096 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 392,361. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a PE ratio of 25.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $132.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $141.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Truist Financial reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

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.