The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Sells 2,000 Shares

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) VP Beverly Wittekind sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $360,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 32,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,900,220. The trade was a 5.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of ENSG traded down $0.43 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $178.60. 366,346 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 419,168. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $180.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $167.23. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $118.73 and a 1 year high of $193.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.95, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.85. 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 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 the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.77% and a net margin of 6.80%.The business’s revenue was up 19.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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 will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is 4.65%.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 33.4% during the second quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH now owns 45,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,090,000 after buying an additional 11,496 shares during the last quarter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $970,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 267,423 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,253,000 after acquiring an additional 25,239 shares during the period. Hood River Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 61.4% in the 2nd quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 492,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,898,000 after purchasing an additional 187,262 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth approximately $2,205,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.