Axiom Investors LLC DE Lowers Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Axiom Investors LLC DE reduced its stake in The Ensign Group by 34.4%, selling 53,963 shares, and now holds a total of 102,881 shares valued at approximately $13.3 million.
• Insiders have sold a total of 14,498 shares worth about $2.2 million in the last quarter, with CFO Suzanne D. Snapper and VP Beverly B. Wittekind decreasing their positions by 3.01% and 10.87%, respectively.
• Several analyst firms have raised their price targets for The Ensign Group, with the average consensus target now at $172.67, indicating a moderately bullish outlook.

Axiom Investors LLC DE trimmed its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 34.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 102,881 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,963 shares during the period. Axiom Investors LLC DE owned approximately 0.18% of The Ensign Group worth $13,313,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Rise Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% in the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 116.7% in the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth approximately $38,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded down $0.96 during trading on Friday, reaching $167.99. 214,153 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 333,743. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.73 and a 52-week high of $174.98. 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 business's fifty day moving average is $158.14 and its 200-day moving average is $144.78.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm 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 business's quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.54%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stephens increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $172.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.06, for a total value of $120,442.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,654,567.12. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 14,498 shares of company stock valued at $2,201,175 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Profile

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.