Osterweis Capital Management Inc. Takes $6.62 Million Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Osterweis Capital Management Inc. has acquired a new position in The Ensign Group, purchasing 51,185 shares valued at approximately $6.6 million, increasing its ownership to 0.09% of the company.
• The Ensign Group recently reported earnings per share of $1.59 for the last quarter, surpassing analyst expectations and marking an 18.5% increase in revenue year-over-year.
• Despite positive earnings, The Ensign Group announced a quarterly dividend cut to $0.0625 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of only 0.1%.

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 51,185 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,623,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of The Ensign Group at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Rise Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% during the first quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 116.7% in the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on ENSG. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. UBS Group upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Stephens raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $172.67.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $0.48 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $164.82. The stock had a trading volume of 222,389 shares, compared to its average volume of 420,061. The firm has a market cap of $9.51 billion, a PE ratio of 29.84, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.93. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $158.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $145.34. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.73 and a fifty-two week high of $174.98.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. This represents a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 27,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,654,567.12. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 9,779 shares of company stock worth $1,469,730. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group 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.