KBC Group NV Sells 889 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

KBC Group NV lessened its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 35.5% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,617 shares of the company’s stock after selling 889 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $249,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Rise Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 114.0% during the 1st quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 199 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 116.7% during the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group in the first quarter worth $27,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Maseco LLP bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the second quarter valued at $36,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.64, for a total value of $126,448.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,393.28. This trade represents a 2.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 246 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.87, for a total value of $46,462.02. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,676,976.73. The trade was a 2.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 30,034 shares of company stock valued at $5,423,448 in the last three months. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ENSG shares. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price target (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 set a $206.00 target price (up previously from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Stephens boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. 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 assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $196.40.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $178.50 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $193.99. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $176.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $161.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company has a market cap of $10.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.94.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.05. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%.The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.39 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 19.8% compared to the same quarter last year. The Ensign Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.480-6.540 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

The Ensign Group Profile

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.