Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPGGet Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of “Buy” from the four analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $65.00.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ECPG shares. JMP Securities upped their price objective on Encore Capital Group from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Northland Capmk raised shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. StockNews.com raised shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Finally, Northland Securities raised their target price on shares of Encore Capital Group from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, December 23rd.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Encore Capital Group

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Laura Olle sold 1,340 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.16, for a total value of $65,874.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 32,381 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,591,849.96. This trade represents a 3.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ECPG. Phase 2 Partners LLC increased its position in Encore Capital Group by 219.9% during the third quarter. Phase 2 Partners LLC now owns 241,509 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $11,416,000 after buying an additional 166,014 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 16.0% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 756,335 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $35,752,000 after acquiring an additional 104,509 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 221.1% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 130,127 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $5,430,000 after acquiring an additional 89,596 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 22.9% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 197,903 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $9,355,000 after purchasing an additional 36,822 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 191.7% in the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 49,719 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $2,350,000 after purchasing an additional 32,672 shares during the last quarter.

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ECPG opened at $46.80 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.96 and a beta of 1.55. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $48.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.21. Encore Capital Group has a 52-week low of $39.64 and a 52-week high of $54.55.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPGGet Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The asset manager reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($0.22). The company had revenue of $367.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $360.70 million. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 12.70% and a negative net margin of 13.91%. The firm’s revenue was up 18.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Encore Capital Group will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report

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.

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