The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Hits New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• The Ensign Group's stock reached a new 52-week high at $184.77 and last traded at $181.96, with significant trading volume of 17,259 shares.
• Analysts have set a range of new price targets for the stock, with UBS Group raising its target to $205.00 and aiming for a "buy" rating.
• The company reported a Q2 EPS of $1.59, exceeding estimates by $0.05, and recorded an 18.5% increase in revenue year-over-year, totaling $1.23 billion.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $184.77 and last traded at $181.96, with a volume of 17259 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $182.04.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial set a $190.00 price target on The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $195.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $176.83.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

The company's 50 day moving average price is $171.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $152.52. 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 company has a market cap of $10.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.93.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is 4.54%.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 owned 27,052 shares in the company, valued at $4,654,567.12. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 23.2% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,298 shares of the company's stock worth $1,074,000 after buying an additional 1,564 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,825 shares of the company's stock valued at $754,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.7% in the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,506 shares of the company's stock valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in The Ensign Group by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 36,529 shares of the company's stock worth $4,727,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth $343,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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