Russell Investments Group Ltd. Increases Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 4.4%, owning approximately 68,800 shares valued at $8.9 million at the end of the first quarter.
• The Ensign Group reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.59, surpassing analyst estimates, with revenue of $1.23 billion, up 18.5% year-over-year.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.0625 per share, yielding 0.1% with a payout ratio of 4.54%.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 4.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 68,800 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,931 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.12% of The Ensign Group worth $8,903,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Forum Financial Management LP increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 1,971 shares of the company's stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 17.9% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 585 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company's stock worth $754,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,384 shares of the company's stock worth $715,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Macquarie cut their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price objective (up from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $171.00.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction 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 sale, the vice president owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. The trade was a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of The Ensign Group 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 completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. This trade represents a 3.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $3.20 during trading on Friday, hitting $172.44. The company had a trading volume of 585,074 shares, compared to its average volume of 477,358. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock's 50-day moving average is $152.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.02. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $173.62.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

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.