The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Issues Earnings Results

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.77%. The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.37 billion.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.30 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $173.31. The company had a trading volume of 373,793 shares, compared to its average volume of 318,825. The Ensign Group has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $193.99. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $10.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.88. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $177.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.10.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.065 per share. This represents a $0.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.59, for a total transaction of $121,513.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 23,652 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,105,750.68. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 8,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.48, for a total transaction of $1,474,032.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 32,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,752,058.92. This trade represents a 20.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 49,934 shares of company stock worth $8,953,443. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $78,840,000. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 199,983 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 31.7% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 352,117 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,835,000 after purchasing an additional 84,694 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 17.4% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 499,723 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,087,000 after acquiring an additional 74,019 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 259,666 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,862,000 after purchasing an additional 60,892 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Stephens lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price target (up from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.