This presentation contains historical information, as well as forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) that involve known and unknown risks and relate to, among other things, future events, projections, financial guidance, legislative or regulatory developments, strategy or growth opportunities, our future financial performance, our projected business resul ...

Core Viewpoint - The Pennant Group, Inc. is set to release its second quarter 2025 financial results on August 6, 2025, followed by a live webcast on August 7, 2025, where management will discuss these results [1][2]. Company Overview - The Pennant Group, Inc. operates as a holding company for independent subsidiaries that provide healthcare services, including home health, hospice, and senior living services across multiple states in the U.S. [4]. - The company's subsidiaries are independently managed, each with its own management, employees, and assets [4]. Investor Engagement - Investors are invited to participate in a live webcast on August 7, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time, to discuss the second quarter results [2]. - The webcast will be available for replay on the company's website until August 6, 2026 [3]. Contact Information - For further inquiries, the company can be contacted at (208) 401-1400 or via email at ir@pennantservices.com [5].

Core Viewpoint - Enhabit (EHAB) has received an upgrade to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook on its earnings estimates, which is a significant factor influencing stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system is based on changes in earnings estimates, which are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements [4][6]. - Institutional investors often rely on earnings estimates to determine the fair value of stocks, leading to buying or selling actions that affect stock prices [4]. Company Performance and Outlook - The upgrade for Enhabit suggests an improvement in its underlying business, which could lead to increased stock prices as investors respond positively [5][10]. - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, Enhabit is expected to earn $0.44 per share, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate having increased by 18% over the past three months [8]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a strong historical performance, particularly for Zacks Rank 1 stocks, which have generated an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [7]. - Enhabit’s upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [9][10].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q1 2025, consolidated net revenue was $259.9 million, reflecting a sequential increase of $1.7 million or 0.7% quarter over quarter, but a decrease of $2.5 million or 1% year over year [16] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $26.6 million, an increase of $1.5 million or 6% sequentially, and up $1.3 million or 5.1% year over year, with an overall EBITDA margin of 10.2%, an increase of 60 basis points from the prior year [17] - The leverage ratio improved to 4.4 times, below the covenant of 4.5 times, allowing for better pricing under existing agreements and additional flexibility for acquisitions [22][24] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Home Health segment revenue was $200.6 million, a slight increase of $200,000 or 0.1%, with a 3.7% increase in average daily census [18] - Hospice segment revenue reached $59.3 million, reflecting a sequential increase of $1.5 million or 2.6% and a year-over-year increase of $10.1 million or 20.5% [19] - Home Health adjusted EBITDA totaled $38.3 million, reflecting a sequential increase of $2.8 million or 7.9% [18] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Non-Medicare admissions in Home Health were up 7.4% year over year, driven by payer innovation contracts [8] - Hospice admissions grew 8% year over year, with same-store growth of 5.2% [10] - Average daily census in hospice reached 38.09 in Q1, an improvement of 2.1% sequentially and 12.3% year over year [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on payer contract initiatives to drive growth, with a significant increase in the percentage of home health visits under payer innovation contracts from 30.8% to 44% [9] - A de novo strategy is being implemented, with one new hospice location opened and 13 projects underway [11] - The company aims to continue leveraging technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs, including piloting two internally developed apps [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the ability to build capacity in a normalizing labor market, with a 4% increase in capacity from December to March [29] - The company reaffirmed its 2025 guidance based on strong Q1 results and business momentum [24] - Management noted that the focus remains on balancing admissions to maintain a healthy payer mix, especially in light of negative growth in Medicare [26] Other Important Information - The company completed the transition to outsourced coding resources, expected to deliver $1.5 million in cost savings for the remainder of 2025 [12] - Free cash flow generated in Q1 was approximately $17 million, with a 63.5% conversion rate [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on volume growth within the non-Medicare book of business - Management noted that payer innovation contracts contributed significantly to positive growth, with a focus on hiring to improve average daily census and admissions [26][27] Question: Expectations for labor market inflation - Management indicated a return to normal salary inflation rates of 2% to 3%, with some markets experiencing tighter conditions [28] Question: Initiatives for gaining share in hospice - Management highlighted the combination of increased referrals and the establishment of regional admissions departments to improve conversion rates [31][32] Question: Dynamics behind business per episode in home health - The use of the Metalogics Pulse tool has been critical in optimizing visits per episode, focusing on higher acuity patients [33][34] Question: Capacity and productivity in hospice - Management confirmed that they are maintaining capacity at the branch level and do not anticipate changes in growth trajectory [42][43] Question: Rate increases and inflation protection in payer contracts - Most contracts are two to three years long, with some having escalators tied to quality metrics, and management is actively renegotiating contracts [48][49] Question: Declining research rates - Management acknowledged challenges in securing research for patients, particularly as Medicare Advantage grows, but emphasized a focus on overall census growth [50][52]