The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Shares Acquired by Northern Trust Corp

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.4% and now owns 941,274 shares, valued at approximately $121.8 million.
• The Ensign Group's latest quarterly earnings showed an EPS of $1.59, surpassing analysts' expectations, with revenue up 18.5% year-over-year.
• Several analysts upgraded their price targets for The Ensign Group, with UBS setting a new target of $195, reflecting positive market sentiment.

Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 0.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 941,274 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 3,344 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp owned 1.64% of The Ensign Group worth $121,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 800,108 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,534,000 after buying an additional 99,147 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 468,575 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,634,000 after buying an additional 433,489 shares in the last quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 461,353 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,295,000 after buying an additional 19,821 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 358,341 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,369,000 after buying an additional 21,510 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,770,000 after buying an additional 335,964 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $172.44 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $9.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.30, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $118.73 and a one year high of $173.62. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $152.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $140.59.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $195.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Stephens upped 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 report on Monday, July 28th. Macquarie reduced their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial upped 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 report on Monday, July 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ENSG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.