Laurus Global Equity Management Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Laurus Global Equity Management Inc. cut its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 9.4% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,440 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,120 shares during the period. The Ensign Group comprises about 2.1% of Laurus Global Equity Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Laurus Global Equity Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,153,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $659,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,322,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 109.2% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 822 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,000 after acquiring an additional 429 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14.2% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $343,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $175.40 on Monday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.73 and a fifty-two week high of $176.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $166.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.20. The company has a market cap of $10.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.83, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.93.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.54%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ENSG. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Saturday, September 27th. UBS Group upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $172.67.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.06, for a total transaction of $120,442.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,654,567.12. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.