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

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, June 14th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Sunday, June 30th will be given a dividend of 0.06 per share on Wednesday, July 31st. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 28th.

The Ensign Group has increased its dividend by an average of 4.7% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 17 consecutive years. The Ensign Group has a payout ratio of 4.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect The Ensign Group to earn $5.46 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.24 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 4.4%.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.4 %

ENSG stock opened at $120.66 on Thursday. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $88.79 and a 12 month high of $127.57. The firm has a market cap of $6.87 billion, a PE ratio of 31.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $119.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $118.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. The business had revenue of $1.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.67% and a return on equity of 17.60%. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 4.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on ENSG. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.60.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Ann Scott Blouin sold 350 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.47, for a total value of $40,764.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 20,002 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,329,632.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 4,463 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.96, for a total transaction of $530,918.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 32,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,836,460. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 6,813 shares of company stock worth $808,203 in the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by 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.