Axa S.A. Increases Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Axa S.A. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 152.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 172,802 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 104,463 shares during the period. Axa S.A.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $26,656,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Rise Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% in the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 638.7% during the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the period. Finally, Maseco LLP purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth about $36,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 28,315 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.71, for a total transaction of $5,116,803.65. Following the completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Spencer Burton sold 2,209 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $397,620.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 51,165 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,209,700. The trade was a 4.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 39,142 shares of company stock valued at $7,054,077 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of ENSG opened at $173.58 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $118.73 and a twelve month high of $193.99. The stock has a market cap of $10.05 billion, a PE ratio of 31.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $180.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $165.49.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. 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. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price objective (up from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, November 14th. Truist Financial raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $196.40.

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.