Ensign Group Enters Florida With Nine Of 22 New Operations, After Litigation Fears Kept It Out
CEO Barry Port called the state's lawsuit climate a major red flag, and the company says the new Florida turnarounds will be slow to pay.
Ensign Group, which runs skilled nursing and senior living operations through independent subsidiaries, has entered Florida with nine of its 22 newly added operations, and CEO Barry Port said on the company's Wednesday earnings call that the state's litigation environment had long kept it out.
A red flag, now set aside
Answering a question from an RBC Capital Markets analyst on Florida risks, Port said the company's hesitancy came from a litigation environment that is "really busy" and a deterrent for operators. He called it "certainly one of the major red flags that we've looked at over time."
The rest of the picture looked better to him. Port described the rate environment as "much more stable than it used to be," the labor market as good, and the regulatory climate as "probably middle of the road."
Chief Investment Officer Chad Keetch said one of the company's most seasoned leaders pitched a plan to enter Florida, moved there, recruited talent and passed on several opportunities before choosing the first deals. Port named that leader as Forrest Peterson, who moved out earlier in the year.
Turnarounds that will take time
Keetch said the Florida operations are almost all at lower-than-average occupancy for their areas and all carry substantial clinical and operational challenges. Port said they are challenged in nearly every respect, clinically, financially and in the physical plant, and that such buildings typically take a year or more to contribute to revenue and earnings.
Port said Ensign's relationships with the major health plans in Florida let it arrange one-off agreements to bring in higher-acuity patients early. "We feel like we can take some of that time off," he said.
Across the 22 additions, Keetch said Ensign added 2,373 skilled nursing beds and 113 independent living beds in four states: nine operations in Florida, seven in Colorado, four in Washington and two in Texas.
Pace and guidance
Asked by a Stephens analyst about acquisition pacing beyond 2026, Keetch said 50 to 60 acquisitions a year is "totally doable, if not more," citing a strong deal flow and balance sheet capacity.
The company also raised its 2026 earnings guidance to $7.94 to $8.02 per diluted share, up from $7.75 to $7.85, and lifted the low end of revenue guidance to $5.89 billion, with the top end held at $5.92 billion. Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $2.03 per share on revenue of $1.48 billion, up 14.5%, Chief Financial Officer Suzanne Snapper said.
The company's market value was $9.9 billion on Wednesday, and the Florida buildings are expected to add little to results until they are turned around.
Sources
- Compared to Estimates, Ensign Group (ENSG) Q3 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics — Yahoo Finance
- Ensign Non-GAAP EPS of $2.03 beats by $0.06, revenue of $1.48B misses by $30M (NASDAQ:ENSG) — seekingalpha.com
- The Ensign Group Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results; Raises — globenewswire.com
- INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Reminds Investors with — globenewswire.com
