The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Short Interest Down 15.7% in October

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,990,000 shares, a decline of 15.7% from the October 15th total of 2,360,000 shares. Approximately 3.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 562,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.5 days.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded down $2.19 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $143.49. 370,653 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 379,640. 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 Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $104.18 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $8.22 billion, a PE ratio of 34.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.95. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $149.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $136.87.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 5.81%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on ENSG. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Stephens boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,660,200. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. CWM LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 3,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 21.2% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pitcairn Co. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 5,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $707,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

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.