UBS Group Begins Coverage on The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Investment analysts at UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 19.57% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on ENSG. Oppenheimer increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens increased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $146.36 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $148.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.64. The Ensign Group has a 1-year low of $104.18 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $8.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.95.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group will post 5.02 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of The Ensign Group

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $151,827,000. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,449,000 after buying an additional 229,586 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $18,843,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.