Oppenheimer Raises The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Price Target to $135.00

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) had its price objective increased by Oppenheimer from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note published on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. Oppenheimer currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on ENSG. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $124.60.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.7 %

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.84 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $116.05. 368,070 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 274,537. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.76, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day moving average of $121.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.51. The Ensign Group has a 52-week low of $87.14 and a 52-week high of $127.57.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.17. The business had revenue of $980.38 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $975.13 million. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 5.67%. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, March 31st were given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.21%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.32%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total transaction of $530,918.48. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Carmel Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth approximately $50,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 43.3% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 470 shares of the company's stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 1,126.8% in the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 503 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 462 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Company Profile

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.