Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $88.00.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Encore Capital Group from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citizens Jmp raised their price target on shares of Encore Capital Group from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a report on Wednesday, June 17th.

Encore Capital Group Stock Performance

Shares of ECPG stock opened at $88.67 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.90, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. Encore Capital Group has a fifty-two week low of $35.67 and a fifty-two week high of $94.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $84.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.93. The firm has a market cap of $1.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.88 and a beta of 1.27.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The asset manager reported $3.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $0.84. The business had revenue of $475.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $446.26 million. Encore Capital Group had a return on equity of 30.70% and a net margin of 16.00%.The firm’s revenue was up 21.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.93 EPS. Encore Capital Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.000 EPS. Analysts predict that Encore Capital Group will post 13.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encore Capital Group

In other news, insider John Yung sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.08, for a total transaction of $164,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 64,570 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,299,905.60. This represents a 3.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 3.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 658.2% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 334,018 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $23,421,000 after purchasing an additional 289,964 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 78.0% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 412,498 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $22,419,000 after purchasing an additional 180,733 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Encore Capital Group during the 4th quarter worth about $7,453,000. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 488.1% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 154,128 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $8,377,000 after purchasing an additional 127,920 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Encore Capital Group by 379.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 98,817 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $4,125,000 after purchasing an additional 78,217 shares during the period.

About Encore Capital Group

Encore Capital Group, Inc is a global specialty finance company that focuses on the purchase and management of nonperforming consumer receivables. Through its subsidiaries, the company acquires charged-off debt portfolios from credit card issuers, banks, and other financial institutions, and seeks to recover outstanding balances through a combination of customer outreach, payment arrangements, and, where appropriate, legal collection efforts. Encore’s business model emphasizes compliance with regulatory and industry standards to ensure ethical and transparent debt-recovery practices.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Encore operates across North America and Europe.