Kestra Investment Management LLC Increases Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Kestra Investment Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. by 186.8%, owning 5,269 shares valued at approximately $679,000.
• The Ensign Group reported $1.59 earnings per share for the last quarter, exceeding consensus estimates of $1.54, alongside an 18.5% year-over-year revenue increase.
• The company recently reduced its dividend to $0.0625 per share, with a yield of 0.1% and a dividend payout ratio of 4.54%.

Kestra Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 186.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 5,269 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 3,432 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $679,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Rise Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.6%

ENSG opened at $173.99 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $156.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.62. The company has a market cap of $10.04 billion, a PE ratio of 31.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $118.73 and a 1 year high of $174.98. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is 4.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.06, for a total transaction of $120,442.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 27,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,654,567.12. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 14,498 shares of company stock valued at $2,201,175. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in 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 report on Monday, July 28th. 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 report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $172.67.

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.

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