Quantbot Technologies LP Decreases Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Quantbot Technologies LP reduced its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 38.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 20,253 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,612 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,621,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Mariner LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 16.1% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 9,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,271 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 3,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $491,000 after purchasing an additional 564 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in The Ensign Group by 147.0% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 39,897 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,301,000 after purchasing an additional 23,742 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP grew its position in The Ensign Group by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $202,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp grew its position in The Ensign Group by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 75,409 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,019,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $169.01 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $169.97. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $9.75 billion, a PE ratio of 30.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $151.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $140.22.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted 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 Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.340-6.460 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Investors of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 30th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 4.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.48, for a total value of $107,436.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 27,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,274,724.96. The trade was a 2.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 value of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 269,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 13,798 shares of company stock worth $2,080,733. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Stephens increased their price target 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. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 target price (up from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Macquarie dropped their target price on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.00.

The Ensign Group 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.