The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $194.00.

Several brokerages have weighed in on ENSG. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price objective (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $177.25 on Friday. The Ensign Group has a 12 month low of $118.73 and a 12 month high of $193.99. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $176.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $159.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.39 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 246 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $188.87, for a total transaction of $46,462.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,676,976.73. This trade represents a 2.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total value of $126,448.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,393.28. This trade represents a 2.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 30,034 shares of company stock worth $5,423,448. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,558,675 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,961,000 after buying an additional 199,983 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. grew its position 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 worth $486,971,000 after acquiring an additional 1,382,035 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in The Ensign Group by 7.2% in the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,016,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $348,322,000 after acquiring an additional 136,260 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,437,285 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,741,000 after acquiring an additional 20,229 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in The Ensign Group by 0.8% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,085,380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $187,516,000 after purchasing an additional 8,272 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Company 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.