Harfst & Associates Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Harfst & Associates Inc. sold 9,954 shares of The Ensign Group, reducing its holdings by 59.2%, leaving 6,867 shares valued at approximately $889,000.
• The Ensign Group reported earnings of $1.59 per share, exceeding expectations, with revenue of $1.23 billion, up 18.5% year-over-year.
• Institutional investors own a significant 96.12% of The Ensign Group's stock, with various funds making adjustments to their positions in recent months.

Harfst & Associates Inc. cut its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 59.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,867 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,954 shares during the period. Harfst & Associates Inc.'s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $889,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,497,137 shares of the company's stock worth $464,630,000 after buying an additional 159,691 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.7% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock worth $124,613,000 after purchasing an additional 197,865 shares in the last quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 800,108 shares of the company's stock worth $103,534,000 after purchasing an additional 99,147 shares in the last quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 461,353 shares of the company's stock worth $61,295,000 after purchasing an additional 19,821 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 358,341 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,369,000 after acquiring an additional 21,510 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded up $2.80 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $166.86. 60,175 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 429,923. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.73 and a 12 month high of $167.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $151.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $139.83. The company has a market cap of $9.63 billion, a PE ratio of 30.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.02.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Stephens lifted 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. Macquarie decreased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted 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 note on Monday, July 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $171.00.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock valued at $2,080,733. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Company 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.