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

Key Points

• Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired 51,185 shares of The Ensign Group, valued at approximately $6.6 million, representing 0.09% ownership of the company.
• The Ensign Group reported a Q2 earnings per share of $1.59, exceeding estimates, with revenue up 18.5% year-over-year.
• The company recently cut its quarterly dividend to $0.0625 per share, resulting in a yield of 0.1%, with a dividend payout ratio of 4.54%.

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 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 reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of 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. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14.1% in the first quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 800,108 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,534,000 after purchasing an additional 99,147 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 17.6% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 683,650 shares of the company's stock valued at $88,464,000 after purchasing an additional 102,089 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% in 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. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.5% in 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. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,798 shares of company stock valued at $2,080,733 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.9%

ENSG stock traded up $3.20 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $172.44. 585,074 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 477,358. The company has a market capitalization of $9.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.30, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.02. 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 $173.62. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $152.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $140.53.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for 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 Ensign Group's revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 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 payout ratio is 4.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Macquarie lowered their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Truist Financial boosted 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. Finally, Stephens boosted 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $171.00.

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.