Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Clark Capital Management Group increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 513,857 shares worth about $89.5 million. Institutional investors remain heavily involved, with hedge funds and other institutions owning 96.12% of the stock.
• Insiders have been selling shares, including directors John O. Agwunobi and Barry M. Smith, with total insider sales of 2,592 shares last quarter valued at about $478,246. Company insiders still own roughly 4.00% of the stock.
• Ensign posted solid quarterly results, beating EPS estimates with $1.85 per share and growing revenue 18.4% year over year to $1.39 billion. The company also recently expanded its stock repurchase authorization by $60 million, though legal investigations tied to alleged patient-care and billing issues are a notable overhang.

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 513,857 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,328 shares during the quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. owned 0.89% of The Ensign Group worth $89,514,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 156.5% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 159 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 55.0% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 172 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 125.6% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 194 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 76.9% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 207 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total value of $78,388.24. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,295 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,721.15. This trade represents a 4.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total value of $114,996.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 21,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,507,706.56. This trade represents a 3.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 2,592 shares of company stock valued at $478,246. Company insiders own 4.00% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 4.1%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $156.93 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $134.79 and a 52 week high of $218.00. The firm's fifty day moving average is $178.21 and its 200 day moving average is $186.27. The company has a market cap of $9.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.56, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.68.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.79 by $0.06. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 6.89%.The business had revenue of $1.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.52 EPS. The business's revenue was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.480-7.620 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 6.82 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting The Ensign Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its stock repurchase authorization by $60 million to a total of $100 million, which can signal confidence from management and provide support for the share price. The Ensign Group, Inc. Announces Increased Stock Repurchase Authorization
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-style commentary highlighted Ensign as a strong growth stock, reinforcing the view that the company still has underlying earnings and operating momentum. Here's Why Ensign Group (ENSG) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also framed the expanded buyback as potentially positive for investors, but it is largely a read on capital allocation rather than a new operating update. Is ENSG's Expanded $100M Buyback Program a Positive for Investors?
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms launched investigations into possible securities law violations after critical reports alleged patient-care issues, quality-measure gaming, and improper billing, which is a major overhang for the stock. ENSG ALERT: Investigation Launched into The Ensign Group, Inc., RGRD Law Attorneys Encourage Investors and Potential Witnesses to Contact Law Firm
• Negative Sentiment: Additional investor alerts from Rosen, Pomerantz, Holzer & Holzer, and Hagens Berman point to escalating legal scrutiny and risk of further downside if the allegations gain traction. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of The Ensign Group, Inc. - ENSG

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on ENSG. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of The Ensign Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of The Ensign Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $216.75.

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.

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