The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Shares Purchased by NewEdge Advisors LLC

Key Points

• NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 18.7%, acquiring an additional 4,272 shares, bringing their total holdings to 27,090 shares valued at $3,505,000.
• Insider selling activity included CFO Suzanne D. Snapper selling 8,379 shares, and VP Beverly B. Wittekind selling 4,719 shares, resulting in significant decreases in their respective ownership percentages.
• Analysts have issued favorable ratings on The Ensign Group, with target prices increased by firms such as UBS Group and Truist Financial, reflecting a "Moderate Buy" consensus and an average target price of $172.67.

NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 18.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,090 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,272 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,505,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. TCTC Holdings LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 39.0% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 467 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. 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 report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, 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 report on Monday, July 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $172.67.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded up $0.34 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $168.33. 47,466 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 420,678. The company has a market capitalization of $9.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.73 and a 52-week high of $174.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $158.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $144.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The business 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 quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.54%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's 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 directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's 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 owned 27,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,654,567.12. The trade was a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 14,498 shares of company stock worth $2,201,175. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.