The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Shares Purchased by Credit Agricole S A

Key Points

• Credit Agricole S A significantly increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 80.2%, acquiring an additional 5,314 shares, bringing its total holdings to 11,940 shares valued at approximately $1.54 million.
• The Ensign Group reported a quarterly EPS of $1.59, exceeding estimates and showing an 18.5% year-over-year revenue increase of $1.23 billion.
• The company announced a dividend cut, with the latest dividend payment at $0.0625 per share, reflecting a yield of just 0.1% and a payout ratio of 4.54%.

Credit Agricole S A boosted its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 80.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,940 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,314 shares during the period. Credit Agricole S A's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,545,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. TCTC Holdings LLC increased its holdings 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 period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 39.0% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 17.9% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 585 shares of the company's stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ENSG. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Macquarie reduced their price objective on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Truist Financial boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, 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 report on Monday, July 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $171.00.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,971,051.32. This trade represents a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,798 shares of company stock valued at $2,080,733. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.5%

ENSG traded down $0.82 on Friday, reaching $171.78. 407,261 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 392,338. The company has a market cap of $9.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.18, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $173.62. The company's 50 day moving average is $154.34 and its 200-day moving average is $141.85.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 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.