Bard Associates Inc. Sells 31,513 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Bard Associates Inc. trimmed its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 37.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 53,480 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,513 shares during the period. The Ensign Group makes up approximately 2.5% of Bard Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Bard Associates Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $9,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Creative Planning raised its position in The Ensign Group by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 76,759 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,262,000 after buying an additional 5,625 shares during the last quarter. Credit Agricole S A bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,297,000. Amundi grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 60,155 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,661,000 after acquiring an additional 2,517 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $7,511,000. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.1% in the third quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 54,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,392,000 after purchasing an additional 1,633 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $209.71 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $118.73 and a 1-year high of $218.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $194.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $182.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.15 billion, a PE ratio of 35.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.83.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.37 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.76%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.410-7.610 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.065 dividend. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on ENSG. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of The Ensign Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial set a $215.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $222.00 price objective (up from $206.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, UBS Group set a $230.00 target price on The Ensign Group and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $204.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 146 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.31, for a total value of $26,033.26. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 9,087 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,620,302.97. This trade represents a 1.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 500 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $210.23, for a total value of $105,115.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 32,779 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,891,129.17. The trade was a 1.50% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 19,073 shares of company stock worth $3,693,390 in the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Company Profile

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.