United Services Automobile Association Makes New Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• United Services Automobile Association has acquired 3,710 shares of The Ensign Group, Inc., valued at around $478,000, as per their Form 13F filing.
• The Ensign Group has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share, reflecting a 0.2% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 4.54%.
• Recent analyst upgrades have led to price targets for The Ensign Group being raised, with consensus rating now at "Moderate Buy" and an average target of $172.67.

United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,710 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $478,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Rise Advisors LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 114.0% in the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 116.7% in the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 269,692 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. This trade represents a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,498 shares of company stock valued at $2,201,175 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ENSG. UBS Group raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Truist Financial raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $172.67.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG traded down $1.48 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $164.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 60,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 419,908. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.73 and a fifty-two week high of $174.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.51 billion, a PE ratio of 29.90, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $158.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $145.20. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The company's revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.54%.

About The Ensign Group

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.