Zacks Research Analysts Increase Earnings Estimates for The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q1 2024 earnings estimates for shares of The Ensign Group in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, April 2nd. Zacks Research analyst D. Chatterjee now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $1.17 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.16. The consensus estimate for The Ensign Group’s current full-year earnings is $4.96 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for The Ensign Group’s Q2 2024 earnings at $1.16 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $1.23 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $1.33 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $4.89 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $1.25 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $1.31 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $1.35 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $1.49 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $5.40 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $1.38 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $6.12 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $112.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $119.20.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $121.34 on Thursday. The Ensign Group has a 1-year low of $87.14 and a 1-year high of $127.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.42. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $121.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $110.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.90 billion, a PE ratio of 33.15, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.17. The company had revenue of $980.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $975.13 million. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 5.61%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Ensign Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 6,768 shares of the company’s stock valued at $608,000 after buying an additional 1,839 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 8.6% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 52,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,725,000 after acquiring an additional 4,140 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the first quarter valued at about $957,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 54.5% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 28,169 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,535,000 after acquiring an additional 9,942 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 136,982 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,330,000 after purchasing an additional 6,609 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,611,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.65, for a total transaction of $1,216,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,611,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 10,800 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.56, for a total value of $1,269,648.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 147,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,328,344. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 84,782 shares of company stock worth $10,048,943. 4.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Sunday, March 31st will be paid a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.56%.

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.