The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Shares Purchased by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. raised its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 88.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 82,557 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,780 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A. owned about 0.14% of The Ensign Group worth $12,736,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth about $2,205,000. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.5% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 27,485 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,557,000 after purchasing an additional 3,894 shares during the period. Voleon Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $299,000. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its position 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 worth $35,389,000 after purchasing an additional 256,880 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $594,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 target price (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Stephens increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Four 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 stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $194.00.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $177.30 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.27 billion, a PE ratio of 32.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $176.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $159.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $193.99.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 16.92%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 30th were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 30th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.47%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total value of $126,448.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,525,393.28. This represents a 2.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 28,315 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.71, for a total value of $5,116,803.65. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 56,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,206,681.51. This trade represents a 33.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 30,034 shares of company stock valued at $5,423,448. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.