UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock

Key Points

• UBS Group has increased its price target for The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) from $195.00 to $205.00, indicating a potential upside of 17.50% from its previous close.
• Recent earnings reports show The Ensign Group beat analyst expectations with an EPS of $1.59 and a revenue of $1.23 billion, reflecting an 18.5% year-over-year increase.
• The stock currently receives a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with an average target price of $172.67 based on evaluations from five analysts.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by equities researchers at UBS Group from $195.00 to $205.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. UBS Group's price target points to a potential upside of 17.50% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Truist Financial upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Stephens raised their target price 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $172.67.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $2.69 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $174.47. The stock had a trading volume of 25,696 shares, compared to its average volume of 425,620. The Ensign Group has a one year low of $118.73 and a one year high of $174.98. The firm has a market cap of $10.07 billion, a PE ratio of 31.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.93. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $154.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $142.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 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 Ensign Group's revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $107,436.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 27,852 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,274,724.96. This represents a 2.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 33.1% in the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 49,009 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,511,000 after purchasing an additional 12,185 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 54,284 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,212,000 after buying an additional 4,713 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 80,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,632,000 after buying an additional 9,433 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 5,384 shares of the company's stock worth $715,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgefront Capital LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $244,000. Institutional investors 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.

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