Insider Selling: The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Sells 1,999 Shares of Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Daren Shaw sold 1,999 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.47, for a total value of $290,794.53. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 24,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,625,985.22. This trade represents a 7.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.4%

The Ensign Group stock traded down $2.05 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $147.70. 607,487 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 442,770. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.33. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.90, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $116.23 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. The Ensign Group’s revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Rise Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 114.0% in the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, TCTC Holdings LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 116.7% in the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Macquarie reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.50.

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.