BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Acquires Shares of 6,650 The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S opened a new position in The Ensign Group, buying 6,650 shares worth about $1.16 million in the fourth quarter.
• Several other institutional investors also increased or initiated stakes, and institutional ownership remains very high at 96.12% of the company’s shares.
• Analysts are mixed on the stock: recent downgrades left Ensign with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $216.75, even as the shares trade around $155.25 after falling 0.7%.

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 6,650 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,158,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. EULAV Asset Management raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. EULAV Asset Management now owns 162,100 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,238,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,911 shares of the company's stock worth $507,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 2,413 shares of the company's stock valued at $420,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 28.4% in the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 2,328 shares of the company's stock valued at $406,000 after acquiring an additional 515 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,138,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on ENSG shares. Zacks Research downgraded The Ensign Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen cut The Ensign Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $216.75.

Trending Headlines about The Ensign Group

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

• Negative Sentiment: Hunterbrook’s short report alleged systemic neglect, dangerous understaffing, and improper billing at Ensign’s facilities, raising reputational and regulatory risks that can weigh on the stock. Ensign Group Stock Dives After Hunterbrook Alleges Deliberate Understaffing Scheme At Nursing Home Chain
• Negative Sentiment: Several firms, including Levi & Korsinsky, Ademi LLP, Block & Leviton, Rosen Law Firm, and the Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, announced investigations into possible securities fraud and misleading statements, which adds legal overhang. The Ensign Group Investigation Initiated: Levi & Korsinsky Investigates the Officers and Directors of The Ensign Group (ENSG)
• Negative Sentiment: Additional shareholder-alert headlines may keep sentiment weak as investors assess the risk of class-action litigation and possible disclosure issues. Securities Fraud Investigation Into The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) Announced – Shareholders Who Lost Money Urged To Contact The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data reported by the market feed appears abnormal/near zero, so it does not currently add a clear new signal for trading direction.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $155.25 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $183.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $187.45. The firm has a market cap of $9.07 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.68. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $134.79 and a 1 year high of $218.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.79 by $0.06. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.89% and a return on equity of 16.78%. The firm had revenue of $1.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.52 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.480-7.620 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 6.79 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.065 dividend. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total value of $78,388.24. Following the sale, the director owned 9,295 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,721.15. The trade was a 4.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total value of $114,996.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 21,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,507,706.56. The trade was a 3.17% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 2,592 shares of company stock valued at $478,246 over the last 90 days. 4.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group 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.

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