Martingale Asset Management L P Sells 5,999 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Martingale Asset Management L P reduced its stake in The Ensign Group by **25.3%**, selling **5,999 shares** and retaining 17,679 shares valued at approximately $2.29 million.
• Corporate insiders have recently sold a total of **13,798 shares** for over **$2 million**, indicating a **decrease in their positions** within the company.
• Analysts have set new price targets for The Ensign Group, with UBS Group recommending a **buy** rating and raising its target to **$195**, while suggesting the stock is rated as a **Moderate Buy** overall.

Martingale Asset Management L P trimmed its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 25.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,679 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,999 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,288,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in The Ensign Group by 0.4% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 941,274 shares of the company's stock worth $121,801,000 after buying an additional 3,344 shares in the last quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 800,108 shares of the company's stock worth $103,534,000 after acquiring an additional 99,147 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 17.6% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 683,650 shares of the company's stock worth $88,464,000 after purchasing an additional 102,089 shares in the last quarter. 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 valued at $60,634,000 after purchasing an additional 433,489 shares during the period. Finally, Clark Capital Management Group Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 461,353 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,295,000 after purchasing an additional 19,821 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the subject of several research reports. Truist Financial raised their target price on 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 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. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (up previously from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Macquarie dropped their price target on shares of 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $171.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total value of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the 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 sale, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $172.32. The stock had a trading volume of 70,799 shares, compared to its average volume of 426,512. The firm has a market cap of $9.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.02. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.73 and a fifty-two week high of $173.62. 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 company's 50-day simple moving average is $153.65 and its 200 day simple moving average is $141.26.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

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.