The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Stake Trimmed by Wasatch Advisors LP

Key Points

• Wasatch Advisors LP cut its stake in The Ensign Group by 27.5% in the first quarter, though it still remains a major holder with 2,057,995 shares worth about $414.7 million.
• Insiders sold shares during the quarter, including directors John O. Agwunobi and Barry M. Smith; overall insider sales totaled 2,592 shares valued at about $478,246.
• Ensign reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS estimates with $1.85 per share and raising FY 2026 guidance to $7.48-$7.62 EPS, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a $216.75 price target.

Wasatch Advisors LP lessened its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 27.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,057,995 shares of the company's stock after selling 780,571 shares during the period. The Ensign Group comprises 2.8% of Wasatch Advisors LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Wasatch Advisors LP owned about 3.55% of The Ensign Group worth $414,686,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 156.5% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 159 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Monetary Solutions Ltd purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 55.0% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 172 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Bayban acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 125.6% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 194 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total value of $78,388.24. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 9,295 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,858,721.15. The trade was a 4.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total value of $114,996.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,352 shares in the company, valued at $3,507,706.56. This represents a 3.17% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,592 shares of company stock valued at $478,246. 4.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised The Ensign Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 14th. Weiss Ratings downgraded The Ensign Group from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Zacks Research lowered shares of The Ensign Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $216.75.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.6%

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $163.05 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $134.79 and a 1-year high of $218.00. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $171.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $184.97. The company has a market capitalization of $9.53 billion, a PE ratio of 26.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.68.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.79 by $0.06. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.78% and a net margin of 6.89%.The firm had revenue of $1.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.52 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 18.4% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.480-7.620 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 6.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.23%.

The Ensign Group Profile

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company's model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.

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