Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $103.76 and last traded at $104.2990, with a volume of 258094 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $103.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on ECPG. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Encore Capital Group from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Zacks Research raised shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Citizens Jmp upped their target price on shares of Encore Capital Group from $108.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have assigned a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.75.

Encore Capital Group Trading Up 0.6%

The firm has a market cap of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.85 and a beta of 1.27. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $90.17 and a 200 day moving average of $78.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.87, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The asset manager reported $2.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.67 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $491.87 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $455.10 million. Encore Capital Group had a return on equity of 29.83% and a net margin of 15.86%.The business’s revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.49 earnings per share. Encore Capital Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-14.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Encore Capital Group Inc will post 13.52 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encore Capital Group

In related news, insider John Yung sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.08, for a total value of $164,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 64,570 shares in the company, valued at $5,299,905.60. This trade represents a 3.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 3.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ECPG. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 1,729.6% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 494 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $46,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 185.7% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 717 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 29.1% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,139 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC bought a new position in Encore Capital Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $204,000.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

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.