The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) CFO Suzanne D. Snapper Sells 8,379 Shares

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock traded down $0.98 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $145.73. The company's stock had a trading volume of 214,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 444,949. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.73 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a 50 day moving average of $147.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.87.

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

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.73%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Macquarie cut their price objective on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. One equities research 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 a consensus target price of $163.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Rise Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% during 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 during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.