Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Director Laura Olle Sells 1,423 Shares of Stock

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) Director Laura Olle sold 1,423 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.79, for a total transaction of $75,120.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 35,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,848,916.96. This trade represents a 3.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Encore Capital Group Stock Up 0.7%

Encore Capital Group stock traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $53.42. 15,187 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 288,506. The company has a quick ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13. Encore Capital Group Inc has a twelve month low of $26.45 and a twelve month high of $53.78. The company has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a P/E ratio of -29.19 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a fifty day moving average of $45.64 and a 200-day moving average of $42.10.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The asset manager reported $3.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $1.25. Encore Capital Group had a negative net margin of 2.89% and a positive return on equity of 25.27%. The business had revenue of $460.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $410.70 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.26 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 25.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Encore Capital Group Inc will post 5.09 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Encore Capital Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECPG. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 1,308,252 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $54,606,000 after buying an additional 59,421 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Encore Capital Group by 13.0% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 790,392 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,095,000 after acquiring an additional 91,019 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Encore Capital Group by 2.5% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 583,148 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $22,577,000 after acquiring an additional 14,353 shares in the last quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 17.7% during the third quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 350,850 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $14,644,000 after purchasing an additional 52,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 11.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 332,702 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $13,887,000 after purchasing an additional 33,350 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ECPG shares. Zacks Research raised Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott boosted their price target on shares of Encore Capital Group from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $61.67.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

Encore Capital Group, Inc, a specialty finance company, provides debt recovery solutions and other related services for consumers across financial assets worldwide. The company purchases portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables at deep discounts to face value, as well as manages them by working with individuals as they repay their obligations and works toward financial recovery.