NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC Buys 3,219 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 51.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 9,472 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,219 shares during the period. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,672,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 3,558,675 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,961,000 after purchasing an additional 199,983 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 1.4% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,437,285 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,741,000 after buying an additional 20,229 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the second quarter worth $105,400,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 31.2% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 614,877 shares of the company’s stock valued at $94,851,000 after buying an additional 146,302 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 538,901 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,131,000 after buying an additional 5,638 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.59, for a total value of $121,513.00. Following the sale, the director owned 23,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,105,750.68. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 1,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.57, for a total value of $178,570.00. Following the sale, the director owned 24,126 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,308,179.82. This trade represents a 3.98% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 50,242 shares of company stock valued at $9,009,622 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ENSG shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued 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 lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $220.00 price objective (up from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $196.40.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $177.41 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $178.55 and a 200-day moving average of $170.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.86. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.73 and a 12 month high of $193.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.77%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.39 EPS. The Ensign Group’s revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, January 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be given a $0.065 dividend. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.65%.

About The Ensign Group

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.