KBC Group NV Purchases 22,126 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• KBC Group NV sharply increased its stake in The Ensign Group, buying 22,126 additional shares in Q1 and lifting its holdings to 23,743 shares worth about $4.78 million.
• The Ensign Group reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $1.85 EPS versus the $1.79 consensus, while revenue rose 18.4% year over year to $1.39 billion.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed but generally constructive, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $213.50; the stock also pays a small quarterly dividend of $0.065 per share.

KBC Group NV grew its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 1,368.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 23,743 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 22,126 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $4,784,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 156.5% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 159 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Monetary Solutions Ltd bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Bayban bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of The Ensign Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 14th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $215.00 to $202.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of The Ensign Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of The Ensign Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $213.50.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG opened at $167.52 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $9.79 billion, a PE ratio of 27.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $136.93 and a 1 year high of $218.00. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $165.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $183.93.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $1.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. The Ensign Group'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. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 6.82 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a $0.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.23%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total transaction of $114,996.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 4.00% of the company's stock.

About The Ensign Group

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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