Riverbridge Partners LLC Sells 204,126 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Riverbridge Partners LLC has reduced its stake in The Ensign Group by 19.0%, selling 204,126 shares and now holding 868,943 shares, which accounts for 2.2% of its holdings.
• The Ensign Group's CFO, Suzanne D. Snapper, recently sold 8,379 shares at an average price of $148.21, decreasing her ownership by 3.01%.
• Analysts have given The Ensign Group a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a price target of $172.67, showing a positive outlook despite recent changes in investor positions.

Riverbridge Partners LLC lessened its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 19.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 868,943 shares of the company's stock after selling 204,126 shares during the period. The Ensign Group accounts for 2.2% of Riverbridge Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Riverbridge Partners LLC owned about 1.51% of The Ensign Group worth $134,043,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Rise Advisors LLC raised its stake in 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 during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth $27,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of The Ensign Group 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at $39,971,051.32. This trade represents a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group 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 transaction, the director owned 27,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,654,567.12. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 9,779 shares of company stock valued at $1,469,730 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Stephens lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note 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 company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $172.67.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 2.1%

ENSG opened at $170.32 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $9.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $161.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $146.75. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.73 and a 1-year 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business's revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.54%.

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.

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