Insider Selling: The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Sells 3,539 Shares of Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 3,539 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $530,850.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 39,209 shares in the company, valued at $5,881,350. This trade represents a 8.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $149.15 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $131.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.38. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $116.23 and a one year high of $158.45. 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 firm has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a PE ratio of 29.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.03.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company posted $1.30 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on ENSG shares. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lowered their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,099,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,278,000 after purchasing an additional 11,830 shares during the period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 339.6% in the 4th quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 7,961 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $263,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,542 shares during the period. 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.