The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• The Ensign Group, Inc. has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from six research firms, with one hold and five buy recommendations.
• The company's recent earnings report showed an EPS of $1.59, beating estimates, alongside an 18.5% year-over-year revenue increase to $1.23 billion.
• The Ensign Group has cut its dividend to $0.0625 per share, reflecting an annualized yield of 0.2%, with a low dividend payout ratio of 4.54%.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the six analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $172.6667.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on ENSG shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stephens lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.7%

The Ensign Group stock traded down $2.78 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $164.29. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,102,339 shares, compared to its average volume of 330,425. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.48 billion, a PE ratio of 29.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group 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 stock's fifty day moving average is $160.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $145.97.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.54%.

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 stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.06, for a total value of $120,442.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,654,567.12. This represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 9,779 shares of company stock worth $1,469,730 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC now owns 21,543 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,599,000 after purchasing an additional 1,518 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 755.7% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 37,837 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,837,000 after acquiring an additional 33,415 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 9,474 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,461,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,928,000. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $306,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% 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.