The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.11 EPS

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11), Zacks reports. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The Ensign Group updated its FY 2025 guidance to 6.160-6.340 EPS.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG traded up $3.49 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $148.86. The company had a trading volume of 852,392 shares, compared to its average volume of 425,532. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $138.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $143.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The Ensign Group has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.04, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $167.17.

The Ensign Group Company 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.