The Ensign Group, Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.06 (NASDAQ:ENSG)

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, March 21st, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.0625 per share on Wednesday, April 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st.

The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 3.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $6.17 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.25 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.1%.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.0 %

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $1.27 on Friday, reaching $128.32. The company had a trading volume of 494,096 shares, compared to its average volume of 392,361. 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 company’s fifty day moving average is $132.90 and its 200 day moving average is $141.03. The Ensign Group has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

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.