The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Declares Dividend Increase – $0.07 Per Share

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, December 19th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be paid a dividend of 0.065 per share on Saturday, January 31st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. This is a 4.0% increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06.

The Ensign Group has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 0.4%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 18 consecutive years. The Ensign Group has a dividend payout ratio of 3.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. 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 Stock Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $181.39 on Friday. The Ensign Group has a 52-week low of $118.73 and a 52-week high of $193.99. The company has a fifty day moving average of $180.84 and a 200-day moving average of $166.82. The company has a market capitalization of $10.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.46.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.77% and a net margin of 6.80%.The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.39 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.27, for a total value of $128,989.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 24,352 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,487,343.04. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 8,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.48, for a total value of $1,474,032.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 32,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,752,058.92. This represents a 20.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 47,542 shares of company stock worth $8,528,109. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 8.4% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 2,378 shares of the company’s stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 911 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,193 shares of the company’s stock worth $184,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Finally, HB Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company’s model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.