


The Ensign Energizer Bunny
We are always looking for a glimmer of optimism in the quarterly earnings reports for publicly traded seniors housing and care companies, and sometimes we find it. One only has to look at The Ensign Group, which has a mix of skilled nursing and seniors housing. Everything seems to be moving up at Ensign. GAAP earnings per share up 40.7% year over year. GAAP net income up 46.8%. Skilled nursing occupancy up 165 basis points. Same-facility SNF occupancy up 50 basis points. They are buying, they are turning around properties. They are the counter argument to those who say you should not be publicly traded in this sector. They seem to be thriving (most of the time), and nobody quite... Read More »
Ensign Deal Flurry
The temperatures have dropped, and The Ensign Group has announced a flurry of acquisitions across the country to start off November. The largest of the deals involved four senior living communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area. Averaging 84% occupancy, the portfolio featured a majority of memory care units (150), with 53 assisted living and 36 independent living units too. Ensign acquired just the operations and brought in its senior living subsidiary Bridgestone Living, LLC to operate, subject to a long-term lease. Next, Ensign acquired both the real estate and operations of two skilled nursing facilities in Meridian and Gooding, Idaho, for an undisclosed price. One facility has... Read More »
Ensign At It Again
Amid the deal frenzy at the start of October, the ever-prolific Ensign Group (NASDAQ: ENSG) added another seniors housing community to its portfolio. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, the community features 53 assisted living and 20 memory care units. Occupancy was just 74%, but that is typical for an Ensign acquisition. Its subsidiary, Bridgestone Living, acquired both the real estate and operations of the community for an undisclosed price, bringing Ensign’s portfolio to 52 assisted/independent living communities and 186 skilled nursing facilities. Read More »