Insider Selling: The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Sells 700 Shares of Stock

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Director Barry Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.54, for a total transaction of $120,078.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 23,552 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,040,110.08. This represents a 2.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.42 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $173.18. The company had a trading volume of 492,804 shares, compared to its average volume of 329,452. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.88. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $177.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.10. 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 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.07. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.77%. The firm had revenue of $1.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.37 billion. 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 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were paid a $0.065 dividend. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 4.65%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Ensign Group

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $707,000. World Investment Advisors increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 1,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 7,436 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,295,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 56.8% in the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 4,106 shares of the company’s stock valued at $715,000 after purchasing an additional 1,487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABN AMRO Bank N.V. lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. now owns 13,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,293,000 after purchasing an additional 5,298 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting The Ensign Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat consensus — Ensign reported $1.82 EPS vs. $1.75 expected and showed solid profitability metrics (6.8% net margin, 16.8% ROE), which supports earnings momentum and valuation support. Quarterly Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Accelerating footprint expansion — Ensign announced multiple acquisitions/additions across Arizona, Texas and Wisconsin (several skilled‑nursing facilities), which can drive organic growth and lift revenues over time as they are integrated. Nursing Home Giant Expands Footprint in Arizona, Texas and Wisconsin
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/institutional interest remains supportive — recent analyst price targets and notable institutional buying (several large funds adding shares) provide upside context to the stock’s valuation. Assessing Ensign Group (ENSG) Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Company issued 2026 annual earnings & revenue guidance and scheduled a webcast — management will host a conference call/webcast tomorrow to discuss results and outlook; investors will watch guidance detail and margin assumptions. Press Release: Reports Results; Issues 2026 Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access — earnings release followed by an investor webcast provides transparency; any surprises on the call (capital deployment plans, reimbursement outlook) will move the stock. Earnings Call Scheduled
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed expectations — Q4 revenue came in a touch below consensus ($1.36B vs. $1.37B expected), a short‑term negative that may temper near‑term sentiment until guidance clarity is provided. Quarterly Press Release
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and risk factors flagged — recent filings and third‑party summaries note material insider sales and the company reiterated risks (reimbursement pressure, rising borrowing costs, integration risk from acquisitions), which can pressure sentiment. Quiver Quant Summary (insider & institutional activity)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on ENSG. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 target price (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $206.00 price objective (up previously from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, November 14th. Stephens boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $196.40.

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.