The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $172.6667.

ENSG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Truist Financial lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. UBS Group lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 28th.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $164.34 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $9.48 billion, a PE ratio of 29.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $158.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $145.34. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $118.73 and a 12-month high of $174.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.54%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. This trade represents a 3.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.06, for a total value of $120,442.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,654,567.12. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 9,779 shares of company stock worth $1,469,730. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 755.7% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 37,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,837,000 after buying an additional 33,415 shares in the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 9,474 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,461,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,928,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $306,000. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 7,711 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,189,000 after purchasing an additional 2,442 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.