Insider Selling: The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Sells $105,115.00 in Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Beverly Wittekind sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.23, for a total transaction of $105,115.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 32,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,891,129.17. The trade was a 1.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $210.64 on Monday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $118.73 and a 12-month high of $216.92. The stock has a market cap of $12.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.07, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a 50-day moving average of $183.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $178.31.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.76%. The business had revenue of $1.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.49 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.410-7.610 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.065 dividend. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.45%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 33.4% in the 2nd quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 45,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,090,000 after purchasing an additional 11,496 shares during the last quarter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth about $970,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 378.6% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 22,346 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,861,000 after purchasing an additional 17,677 shares in the last quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 96.2% in the third quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 2,818,609 shares of the company’s stock valued at $486,971,000 after buying an additional 1,382,035 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $6,157,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on ENSG shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded The Ensign Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial set a $215.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $222.00 price target (up from $206.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.60.

The Ensign Group Company 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.