Hsbc Holdings PLC Sells 22,279 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC reduced its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. by 53.7% during the first quarter, now holding 19,246 shares worth approximately $2.49 million.
• The Ensign Group reported earnings of $1.59 per share for the quarter, exceeding expectations, along with an 18.5% increase in year-over-year revenue.
• Several hedge funds, including American Century Companies Inc. and GAMMA Investing LLC, have significantly increased their holdings in The Ensign Group, showcasing growing institutional interest.

Hsbc Holdings PLC decreased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 53.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,246 shares of the company's stock after selling 22,279 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,489,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 468,575 shares of the company's stock worth $60,634,000 after acquiring an additional 433,489 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock worth $43,770,000 after acquiring an additional 335,964 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth $32,429,000. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.7% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock worth $124,613,000 after acquiring an additional 197,865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth $22,777,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total transaction of $107,436.00. Following the sale, the director owned 27,852 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,274,724.96. This represents a 2.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Stephens raised their target price 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. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $172.67.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.0%

The Ensign Group stock traded up $1.70 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $173.48. The company's stock had a trading volume of 33,858 shares, compared to its average volume of 425,686. The company has a market capitalization of $10.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.73 and a 12 month high of $174.98. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $154.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $142.35. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during 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 revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 (DPR) 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.