NewEdge Advisors LLC Lowers Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• NewEdge Advisors cut its Ensign Group position by 77.8% in the second quarter, selling 18,446 shares and retaining 5,270 shares valued at approximately $845,000.
• Institutional ownership remains high at 96.12%, with BlackRock initiating a stake worth about $937.2 million and several other major investors increasing their holdings.
• Ensign reported quarterly EPS of $1.92, beating estimates by $0.12, while revenue rose 16.7% year over year to $1.44 billion. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $216.25.

NewEdge Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 77.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,270 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,446 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $845,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth $937,218,000. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.7% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,278,324 shares of the company's stock worth $365,215,000 after acquiring an additional 220,329 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,498,673 shares of the company's stock worth $261,107,000 after acquiring an additional 49,117 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth $134,660,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 630,380 shares of the company's stock worth $109,812,000 after purchasing an additional 107,689 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director John Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.06, for a total transaction of $67,055.52. Following the sale, the director owned 9,503 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,625,583.18. The trade was a 3.96% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.1%

The Ensign Group stock opened at $176.32 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $176.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $179.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $141.58 and a one year high of $218.00. The stock has a market cap of $10.28 billion, a PE ratio of 27.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.69.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $1.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.44 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.90% and a return on equity of 16.75%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 16.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.59 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.750-7.850 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 7.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, October 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a $0.065 dividend. This represents a $0.26 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.08%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on ENSG. Truist Financial lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $202.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of The Ensign Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $228.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $216.25.

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc NASDAQ: ENSG is a healthcare services company that provides post-acute and senior care through a network of independently operated subsidiaries. Its businesses primarily focus on skilled nursing, rehabilitation and transitional care for patients recovering from illness, injury or surgery, as well as long-term care for seniors and individuals with complex medical needs.

The company also operates or supports assisted living, independent living, memory care, home health and hospice services in selected markets.

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