Baillie Gifford & Co. Boosts Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Baillie Gifford & Co. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 96.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,818,609 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,382,035 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 4.88% of The Ensign Group worth $486,971,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 638.7% during the 2nd quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. MAI Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,009.5% in the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 212 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,128.6% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $175.46 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $178.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $171.22. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $193.99. The stock has a market cap of $10.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.39, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.86.

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

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.065 per share. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.65%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, COO Spencer Burton sold 5,899 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $177.30, for a total transaction of $1,045,892.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 51,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,071,554.50. This trade represents a 10.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 8,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 32,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,752,058.92. This represents a 20.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 50,634 shares of company stock valued at $9,079,891 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price target (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price objective (up previously from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, November 14th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target 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 analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $196.40.

The Ensign Group Profile

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.