Barry M. Smith Sells 700 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total transaction of $107,436.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 27,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,274,724.96. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.8%

NASDAQ:ENSG traded up $1.23 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $150.14. 183,348 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 448,513. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.03. The firm's fifty day moving average is $145.19 and its 200-day moving average is $136.43. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $118.73 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.90%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.73%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Macquarie decreased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $163.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company's stock worth $202,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.5% during the first quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,967 shares of the company's stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.6% during the first quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 1,971 shares of the company's stock valued at $255,000 after purchasing an additional 86 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.9% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 585 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Finally, QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.6% in the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company's stock worth $754,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.

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