Gabelli Funds LLC Purchases New Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Gabelli Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 48,958 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,552,000. Gabelli Funds LLC owned approximately 0.08% of The Ensign Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rise Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 638.7% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maseco LLP acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at about $36,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of ENSG opened at $174.14 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.73 and a 52-week high of $193.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $180.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $165.44. The company has a market capitalization of $10.09 billion, a PE ratio of 31.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.85.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 4.47%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price target (up previously from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, November 14th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price target (up from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stephens increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $196.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.57, for a total value of $178,570.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 24,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,308,179.82. This represents a 3.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 246 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.87, for a total value of $46,462.02. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 8,879 shares in the company, valued at $1,676,976.73. This represents a 2.70% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 39,142 shares of company stock worth $7,054,077. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group 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.