The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) is Gagnon Securities LLC's 2nd Largest Position

Key Points

• Gagnon Securities LLC holds a significant position in The Ensign Group, comprising 6.2% of their total holdings, despite recently trimming their stake by 0.7%.
• Analysts have generally positive forecasts for The Ensign Group, with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $167.67, as several have increased their price targets recently.
• The Ensign Group reported a record earnings per share of $1.59 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, while also achieving an 18.5% year-over-year revenue growth.

Gagnon Securities LLC cut its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 0.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 219,128 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,597 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group makes up approximately 6.2% of Gagnon Securities LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Gagnon Securities LLC owned 0.38% of The Ensign Group worth $28,355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ENSG. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,770,000 after purchasing an additional 335,964 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,167,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 937,930 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,613,000 after purchasing an additional 197,865 shares in the last quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $22,777,000. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,497,137 shares of the company's stock valued at $464,630,000 after purchasing an additional 159,691 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stephens upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Macquarie lowered their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $167.67.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $0.73 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $161.36. The stock had a trading volume of 192,182 shares, compared to its average volume of 431,825. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.31 billion, a PE ratio of 29.29, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.02. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $162.76. The stock's 50 day moving average is $149.44 and its 200 day moving average is $138.81. 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 (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, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $107,436.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,852 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,274,724.96. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 19,336 shares of company stock valued at $2,902,377 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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.