The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Reaches New 1-Year 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)'s stock price 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. The stock had previously closed at $171.78.

ENSG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. 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 note on Monday, July 28th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $172.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group 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 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 38,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 14,498 shares of company stock valued at $2,201,175 in the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Norges Bank purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $105,400,000. Crow s Nest Holdings LP purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $56,936,000. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 1,235.5% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 468,575 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,634,000 after acquiring an additional 433,489 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 14,683.7% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 338,252 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,770,000 after acquiring an additional 335,964 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 1,546.6% during the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 273,489 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,389,000 after acquiring an additional 256,880 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.6%

The company has a market cap of $10.04 billion, a PE ratio of 31.58, a PEG ratio of 2.00 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 company has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.50.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The firm's revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. Sell-side 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 issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.54%.

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.