The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Given New $135.00 Price Target at Oppenheimer

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) had its price target raised by Oppenheimer from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

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

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $116.05 on Monday. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $87.14 and a 12-month high of $127.57. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $114.65. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $6.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total value of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 31,263 shares of company stock worth $3,735,086 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $65,050,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,621,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $743,042,000 after buying an additional 310,182 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in The Ensign Group by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,620,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $294,031,000 after buying an additional 221,838 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 25.6% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 725,056 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,379,000 after acquiring an additional 147,698 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $13,578,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.