The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) to Issue $0.06 Quarterly Dividend

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, March 21st, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis 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 research 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 Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $128.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 company has a 50 day simple moving average of $132.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $140.87. The Ensign Group has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on ENSG shares. Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 over the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.