The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director John Agwunobi Sells 246 Shares

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director John Agwunobi sold 246 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.82, for a total value of $44,235.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 9,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,660,278.06. The trade was a 2.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.6%

ENSG opened at $174.99 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.46. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $178.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $171.03. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $118.73 and a fifty-two week high of $193.99.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.77%. The company had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.39 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.065 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.65%.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 96.2% during the 3rd quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 2,818,609 shares of the company’s stock worth $486,971,000 after buying an additional 1,382,035 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $105,400,000. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $78,840,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 195.4% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 513,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,688,000 after acquiring an additional 339,534 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,558,675 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,961,000 after purchasing an additional 199,983 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on ENSG shares. 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 research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $206.00 target price (up previously from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. 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 a consensus price target of $196.40.

About The Ensign Group

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company’s model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.