Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 12.000-12.000 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 8.760. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Encore Capital Group Stock Up 6.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:ECPG opened at $68.29 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 1.41. Encore Capital Group has a 12 month low of $26.45 and a 12 month high of $68.75. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $56.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.48.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $1.17. The company had revenue of $473.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $423.14 million. Encore Capital Group had a return on equity of 28.88% and a net margin of 14.52%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($9.42) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Encore Capital Group will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ECPG has been the topic of several recent research reports. Truist Financial increased their price target on Encore Capital Group from $59.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Citizens Jmp increased their target price on shares of Encore Capital Group from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $75.50.

Insider Transactions at Encore Capital Group

In other news, 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 sale, the director owned 35,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,848,916.96. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $137,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 55,410 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,047,550. The trade was a 4.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 2.54% of the company’s stock.

Encore Capital Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Encore Capital Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Big Q4 beat: Encore reported $3.37 GAAP EPS vs. $2.20 consensus and revenue of $473.6M vs. $423.1M, with revenue up ~78% y/y — evidence of accelerating core performance that supports valuation re‑rating. MarketBeat Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Very strong FY‑2026 guidance: Management set EPS guidance at $12.00 for FY‑2026 (consensus ~$8.76), signaling materially higher earnings power and margin leverage going forward — a primary driver of the rally. Seeking Alpha Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades / price‑target raises: Citizens Jmp raised its PT to $90 (market outperform) and Truist raised its PT to $80 (buy), reflecting renewed analyst confidence and providing upward price momentum. Benzinga PT Raises
• Positive Sentiment: Management growth plans: Encore expects ~10% EPS growth to $12 in 2026 and is targeting $1.4B–$1.5B in portfolio purchases — indicating management is accelerating asset acquisition to sustain future revenue and earnings growth. Earnings Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials available: Full earnings slide deck and the Q4 earnings call transcript are published (useful for modeling and Q&A details). Earnings Transcript

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ECPG. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 168.9% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,716 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $105,000 after buying an additional 1,706 shares during the period. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in Encore Capital Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $143,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in Encore Capital Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $201,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $211,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $214,000.

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.