The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Hits New 52-Week High After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• The Ensign Group's stock reached a new **52-week high** of **$174.98** following an upgrade from UBS Group, which raised their price target from **$195.00 to $205.00**.
• Insiders sold nearly **13,800 shares** of the company's stock recently, with VP Beverly B. Wittekind and CFO Suzanne D. Snapper reducing their holdings by **10.87% and 3.01%**, respectively.
• The Ensign Group reported a **18.5% increase** in year-over-year revenue, totaling **$1.23 billion**, and announced a quarterly dividend of **$0.0625 per share**, reflecting a **0.1% dividend yield**.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday after UBS Group raised their price target on the stock from $195.00 to $205.00. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. The Ensign Group traded as high as $174.98 and last traded at $173.71, with a volume of 29605 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $171.78.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $172.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at $5,995,245. This represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total value of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 269,692 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at $105,400,000. Crow s Nest Holdings LP bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth about $56,936,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 468,575 shares of the company's stock worth $60,634,000 after acquiring an additional 433,489 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock worth $43,770,000 after acquiring an additional 335,964 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,546.6% in the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 273,489 shares of the company's stock worth $35,389,000 after acquiring an additional 256,880 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.2%

The company's fifty day moving average price is $154.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.35. The stock has a market cap of $10.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.93. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share 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 the consensus estimate of $1.22 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.54%.

About The Ensign Group

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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