The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Sets New 12-Month High on Earnings Beat

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $196.37 and last traded at $194.05, with a volume of 127994 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $173.18.

The company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.76% and a net margin of 6.80%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.410-7.610 EPS.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ENSG. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. UBS Group set a $230.00 target price on The Ensign Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Truist Financial set a $215.00 price target on The Ensign Group and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price objective (up from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised The Ensign Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $201.40.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Barry Port sold 28,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.71, for a total value of $5,116,803.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 56,481 shares in the company, valued at $10,206,681.51. This trade represents a 33.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.59, for a total value of $121,513.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,105,750.68. The trade was a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 50,315 shares of company stock worth $9,013,767. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 8.4% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 732 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Csenge Advisory Group boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 3.7% in the fourth quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 1,642 shares of the company’s stock worth $286,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 2,378 shares of the company’s stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 911 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 2,189 shares of the company’s stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.3%

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $177.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.42. The company has a market capitalization of $11.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.87, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.88.

About The Ensign Group

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.