Stock Analysis

I Built A List Of Growing Companies And Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) Made The Cut

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NasdaqGS:ENSG
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It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

In contrast to all that, I prefer to spend time on companies like Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Ensign Group

How Quickly Is Ensign Group Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS). That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. I, for one, am blown away by the fact that Ensign Group has grown EPS by 48% per year, over the last three years. That sort of growth never lasts long, but like a shooting star it is well worth watching when it happens.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. While we note Ensign Group's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 11% to US$2.7b. That's progress.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

earnings-and-revenue-history
NasdaqGS:ENSG Earnings and Revenue History May 9th 2022

While we live in the present moment at all times, there's no doubt in my mind that the future matters more than the past. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Ensign Group?

Are Ensign Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

I like company leaders to have some skin in the game, so to speak, because it increases alignment of incentives between the people running the business, and its true owners. So it is good to see that Ensign Group insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. Notably, they have an enormous stake in the company, worth US$162m. This suggests to me that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

Does Ensign Group Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Ensign Group's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. That EPS growth certainly has my attention, and the large insider ownership only serves to further stoke my interest. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point; and I do like those. So yes, on this short analysis I do think it's worth considering Ensign Group for a spot on your watchlist. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Ensign Group by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.

You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

What are the risks and opportunities for Ensign Group?

The Ensign Group, Inc. provides skilled nursing, senior living, and rehabilitative services, as well as other ancillary services.

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Rewards

  • Trading at 16.7% below our estimate of its fair value

  • Earnings are forecast to grow 11.26% per year

  • Earnings grew by 17.9% over the past year

Risks

No risks detected for ENSG from our risks checks.

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