Beverly Wittekind Sells 8,400 Shares of The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Beverly Wittekind sold 8,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.48, for a total transaction of $1,474,032.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 32,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,752,058.92. This represents a 20.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.7%

ENSG stock opened at $176.57 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month 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 company has a market cap of $10.23 billion, a PE ratio of 31.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.85. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $180.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $166.52.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $206.00 price objective (up previously from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Stephens upped 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 note on Wednesday, November 5th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 target price (up from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a 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, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $196.40.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

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

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.