The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Sets New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) reached a new 12-month high of $173.62, closing at $171.26 with significant trading volume of 585,074 shares.
• Wall Street analysts show a positive outlook with five buy ratings and an average price target raised to $171.00, suggesting continued interest in the stock's growth potential.
• The company reported an EPS of $1.59 for the last quarter, surpassing expectations and demonstrating strong revenue growth of 18.5% year-over-year.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $173.62 and last traded at $171.26, with a volume of 585074 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $169.24.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $195.00 price target (up previously from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Macquarie cut their price target on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $171.00.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $152.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $140.56. The firm has a market cap of $9.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.99, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.02.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued 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 net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue 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. On average, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were 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 owned 38,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,971,051.32. This represents a 3.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Rise Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 114.0% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 638.7% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 229 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.