Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) vs The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ENSG | 18.7% revenue growth vs BKD's 7.3% |
| Value | BKD | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | ENSG | 6.8% net margin vs BKD's -8.2% |
| Stability / Safety | ENSG | Beta 0.43 vs BKD's 0.88 |
| Dividends | ENSG | 0.1% yield; 12-year raise streak; BKD pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BKD | +168.4% vs ENSG's +66.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ENSG | 6.3% ROA vs BKD's -4.4%, ROIC 8.9% vs 2.0% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Brookdale Senior Living is a leading operator of senior living communities across the United States, providing independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services. It generates revenue primarily through resident fees — with assisted living and memory care contributing about 60% of revenue, independent living around 30%, and continuing care retirement communities making up the remainder. The company's scale advantage — operating over 600 communities nationwide — creates operational efficiencies and brand recognition that smaller regional operators cannot match.
The Ensign Group operates a network of skilled nursing facilities and senior living communities across multiple states. It generates revenue primarily from patient care reimbursements—mainly Medicare and Medicaid—along with private pay services and ancillary offerings like therapy and diagnostics. The company's competitive advantage lies in its decentralized operational model that empowers local leaders and its disciplined acquisition strategy for underperforming facilities.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ENSG leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BKD leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ENSG is the larger business by revenue, generating $4.8B annually — 1.5x BKD's $3.2B. ENSG is the more profitable business, keeping 6.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BKD's -8.2%. On growth, ENSG holds the edge at +19.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | ENSGThe Ensign Group,… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.2B | $4.8B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $441M | $501M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$263M | $328M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $80M | $290M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +88.9% | +15.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.7% | +8.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -8.2% | +6.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.5% | +6.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.0% | +19.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +54.1% | +6.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, BKD's 10.2x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than ENSG's 26.4x.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | ENSGThe Ensign Group,… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.6B | $12.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $4.5B | $14.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -13.66x | 36.67x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 28.49x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 2.66x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 10.21x | 26.37x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.14x | 2.45x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 5.64x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 16.68x | 33.45x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ENSG delivers a 15.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $15 in annual profit, vs $-3 for BKD. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ENSG scores 7/9 vs BKD's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | ENSGThe Ensign Group,… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.1% | +15.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.4% | +6.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.0% | +8.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.5% | +10.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.93x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $869M | $1.6B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $279M | $504M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.1B | $2.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 11.24x | 53.02x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BKD five years ago would be worth $26,842 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $25,875 for ENSG. Over the past 12 months, BKD leads with a +168.4% total return vs ENSG's +66.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BKD at 67.9% vs ENSG's 33.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | ENSGThe Ensign Group,… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +41.1% | +23.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +168.4% | +66.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +373.7% | +140.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +168.4% | +158.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | +1027.2% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +67.9% | +33.9% |
Risk & Volatility
ENSG is the less volatile stock with a 0.43 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BKD's 0.88 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ENSG currently trades 98.7% from its 52-week high vs BKD's 90.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | ENSGThe Ensign Group,… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.88x | 0.43x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $17.00 | $217.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.97 | $118.73 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +90.0% | +98.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.6 | 66.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.6M | 333K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BKD as "Buy" and ENSG as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 14.4% upside for BKD (target: $18) vs 3.8% for ENSG (target: $222). ENSG is the only dividend payer here at 0.11% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | ENSGThe Ensign Group,… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.50 | $222.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 13 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.1% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 12 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.24 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | 100 | 256.98 | +157.0% |
| The Ensign Group, I… (ENSG) | 100 | 389.26 | +289.3% |
Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) returned +168% over 5 years vs The Ensign Group, I… (ENSG)'s +159%. A $10,000 investment in BKD 5 years ago would be worth $26,842 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | $4.2B | $3.2B | -24.5% |
| The Ensign Group, I… (ENSG) | $1.7B | $5.1B | +205.6% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.2B (2016) to $3.2B (2025) — a -3.1% CAGR. The Ensign Group, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.7B (2016) to $5.1B (2025) — a 13.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -9.5% | -8.2% | +13.8% |
| The Ensign Group, I… (ENSG) | 3.0% | 6.8% | +125.1% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s net margin went from -10% (2016) to -8% (2025). The Ensign Group, Inc.'s net margin went from 3% (2016) to 7% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ensign Group, I… (ENSG) | 27 | 29.8 | +10.4% |
The Ensign Group, Inc. has traded in a 21x–31x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~37x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -2.18 | -1.12 | +48.6% |
| The Ensign Group, I… (ENSG) | 0.96 | 5.84 | +508.3% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.18 (2016) to $-1.12 (2025). The Ensign Group, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.96 (2016) to $5.84 (2025) — a 22% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. generated $218M FCF in 2025 (+180% vs 2021). The Ensign Group, Inc. generated $371M FCF in 2025 (+80% vs 2021).
BKD vs ENSG: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BKD or ENSG a better buy right now?
The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) offers the better valuation at 36.7x trailing P/E (28.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) a "Buy" — based on 12 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — BKD or ENSG?
Over the past 5 years, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) delivered a total return of +168.4%, compared to +158.8% for The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG). A $10,000 investment in BKD five years ago would be worth approximately $27K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ENSG returned +1027% versus BKD's +6.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — BKD or ENSG?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) is the lower-risk stock at 0.43β versus Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s 0.88β — meaning BKD is approximately 107% more volatile than ENSG relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — BKD or ENSG?
The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) is the more profitable company, earning 6.8% net margin versus -8.2% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. — meaning it keeps 6.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ENSG leads at 8.4% versus 2.7% for BKD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BKD leads at 88.9%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is BKD or ENSG more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BKD: 14.4% to $17.50.
06Which pays a better dividend — BKD or ENSG?
In this comparison, ENSG (0.1% yield) pays a dividend. BKD does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is BKD or ENSG better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.43), +1027% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ENSG: +1027%, BKD: +6.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between BKD and ENSG?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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