The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Price Target Raised to $135.00 at Oppenheimer

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Oppenheimer from $130.00 to $135.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer’s target price points to a potential upside of 15.49% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.60.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $116.89 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a current ratio of 1.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group has a 52-week low of $87.14 and a 52-week high of $127.57. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $121.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $114.51.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17. The business had revenue of $980.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $975.13 million. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 5.67%. Research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 owns 37,912 shares in the company, valued at $4,611,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total transaction of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares in the company, valued at $17,328,344. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 89,245 shares of company stock valued at $10,579,862 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth about $197,000. Hardy Reed LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth approximately $213,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth approximately $275,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.6% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 12,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,601,000 after buying an additional 1,925 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.8% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 69,812 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,686,000 after purchasing an additional 14,769 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.