Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Has $144.80 Million Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its stake in The Ensign Group by 5.6%, now holding about $144.80 million worth of shares, totaling 1,119,077 shares.
• Several institutional investors have significantly increased their holdings in The Ensign Group, with GAMMA Investing LLC growing its stake by an astonishing 14,683.7%.
• The Ensign Group recently reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.59, exceeding analyst expectations and showcasing an 18.5% revenue increase year-over-year.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP decreased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 5.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,119,077 shares of the company's stock after selling 65,772 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 1.95% of The Ensign Group worth $144,804,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,770,000 after buying an additional 335,964 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth about $32,429,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,613,000 after acquiring an additional 197,865 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $22,777,000. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 58.6% during the fourth quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 304,309 shares of the company's stock worth $40,430,000 after purchasing an additional 112,481 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Macquarie decreased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Stephens increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective 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 analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $171.00.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.2%

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $169.01 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $9.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.02. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $169.97. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $151.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $140.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS 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 business had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.54%.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the firm's 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 directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $107,436.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,274,724.96. This trade represents a 2.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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.

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