The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• The Ensign Group has a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy", with four buy ratings and two hold ratings among six covering analysts. The average 12-month price target is $216.75.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $1.85 EPS versus the $1.79 estimate, while revenue rose 18.4% year over year to $1.39 billion. It also set FY 2026 guidance at $7.480–$7.620 EPS.
• Shares were down 1.6% in Tuesday trading, opening at $165.00, even as the stock sits well below its 52-week high of $218.00. Insider sales and the company’s 96.12% institutional ownership were also noted.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the six analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $216.75.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Zacks Research lowered shares of The Ensign Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Truist Financial set a $215.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $222.00 price target (up from $206.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, UBS Group set a $230.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.6%

The Ensign Group stock opened at $165.00 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $9.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.68. The Ensign Group has a 52 week low of $134.79 and a 52 week high of $218.00. The business's 50-day moving average price is $187.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $188.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.79 by $0.06. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.89% and a return on equity of 16.78%. The business had revenue of $1.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 EPS. The company'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 will post 6.79 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were paid a $0.065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.23%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.65, for a total value of $137,655.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 22,152 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,356,190.80. This trade represents a 3.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 392 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.97, for a total transaction of $78,388.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,295 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,721.15. This represents a 4.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 1,892 shares of company stock worth $363,250 over the last ninety days. 4.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 156.5% in the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 159 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Monetary Solutions Ltd acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 55.0% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 172 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bayban acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Company 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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