Zacks Research Brokers Increase Earnings Estimates for ENSG

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) – Analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for The Ensign Group in a research report issued on Tuesday, September 1st. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $1.73 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.70. The consensus estimate for The Ensign Group’s current full-year earnings is $6.93 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for The Ensign Group’s Q4 2026 earnings at $1.86 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.98 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.79 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.69 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.94 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.83 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.26 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $2.02 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.86 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $8.19 EPS.

Several other research firms have also commented on ENSG. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $202.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of The Ensign Group from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $228.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut The Ensign Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $216.25.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $172.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The company has a market cap of $10.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.69. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $174.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $183.03. The Ensign Group has a 1-year low of $141.58 and a 1-year high of $218.00.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.12. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.75% and a net margin of 6.90%.The business had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.59 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 16.7% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.750-7.850 EPS.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th were paid a $0.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.08%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director John Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.06, for a total transaction of $67,055.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,625,583.18. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 15,582.5% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 10,563,449 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,693,321,000 after acquiring an additional 10,496,091 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $937,218,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $134,660,000. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at $78,840,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth about $65,470,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting The Ensign Group

Here are the key news stories impacting The Ensign Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings forecasts across multiple periods. The firm lifted its estimates for Q3 and Q4 2026, full-year 2026, several 2027 quarters, full-year 2027, and 2028. Its FY2026 EPS forecast increased to $6.98 from $6.77, FY2027 to $7.26 from $7.06, and FY2028 to $8.19 from $7.89. The revisions imply improving expectations for Ensign’s earnings trajectory and are above the current full-year consensus estimate of $6.93.
• Positive Sentiment: Ensign’s operating model continues to show potential for organic growth. A Zacks analysis highlighted higher occupancy, improved clinical results, and stronger productivity across facilities, suggesting growth may extend beyond acquisitions. Can Ensign Group’s Operating Model Drive Growth Beyond Acquisitions?
• Neutral Sentiment: The company previously reported quarterly EPS of $1.92, ahead of the $1.80 analyst estimate, while revenue rose 16.7% year over year to $1.44 billion. However, the shares remain below their 200-day moving average, indicating that broader valuation and momentum concerns may limit the immediate benefit from the higher forecasts.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are investigating possible securities-law violations. Rosen Law Firm and Kaplan Fox say they are examining allegations that Ensign may have issued materially misleading business information. The notices do not establish wrongdoing, but they introduce potential litigation costs, uncertainty, and reputational risk for shareholders. Rosen Law Firm Securities Class Action Investigation Kaplan Fox Securities Law Investigation

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.