The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock Rating Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $202.00 to $207.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $228.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group 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 $171.78 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $176.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $177.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The Ensign Group has a 12-month low of $141.58 and a 12-month high of $218.00. The firm has a market cap of $10.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.92, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.66.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.44 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.75% and a net margin of 6.90%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.59 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.750-7.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 7.04 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.0650 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.08%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director John Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.06, for a total transaction of $67,055.52. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,503 shares in the company, valued at $1,625,583.18. This represents a 3.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dockside LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the second quarter worth approximately $2,180,000. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,278,324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $365,215,000 after acquiring an additional 220,329 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $8,619,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth $8,518,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 20.6% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 630,380 shares of the company’s stock worth $109,812,000 after purchasing an additional 107,689 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More The Ensign Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ensign acquired skilled nursing and senior living operations in Florida, Colorado, and Washington, adding roughly 2,000 skilled nursing beds and expanding its portfolio to 418 healthcare operations across 18 states. The move strengthens its geographic footprint and could provide additional revenue and earnings growth if the facilities are integrated successfully. The Ensign Group Expands Portfolio with Acquisitions in Washington, Florida and Colorado
• Positive Sentiment: The Florida expansion gives Ensign an entry into a large healthcare market, while the Washington and Colorado transactions deepen its presence in existing regions. Several facilities are tied to long-term triple-net leases, and Ensign also acquired real estate assets for five facilities through its captive REIT. The Ensign Group Announces Expansion Into Florida
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating momentum remains favorable: quarterly revenue rose about 17% year over year to approximately $1.44 billion, and earnings per share exceeded consensus estimates. Zacks also highlighted ENSG as a strong growth stock, reinforcing the view that acquisitions and organic performance can support future results. Here’s Why Ensign Group is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The rapid multi-state expansion could increase integration, staffing, and financial obligations, particularly because Ensign often targets facilities requiring operational improvement. Investors will look for details on acquisition costs, occupancy, margins, and the pace of earnings contribution.
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm and Kaplan Fox announced investigations into potential securities-law violations, alleging that Ensign may have issued materially misleading business information. The announcements do not establish wrongdoing, but they create legal, reputational, and potential financial risks for shareholders. Rosen Law Firm Securities Class Action Investigation

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc (NASDAQ: ENSG) is a healthcare services company that operates through a network of skilled nursing, rehabilitation and senior living facilities. Its centers provide post-acute care, including nursing services, physical, occupational and speech therapy, short-term rehabilitation, and long-term residential care for older adults and patients recovering from illness, injury or surgery.

The company also provides home health and hospice services, as well as a range of ancillary services supporting post-acute care.