Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Trading 3% Higher

Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG)’s share price traded up 3% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $44.61 and last traded at $41.74. 39,745 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 162,991 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.54.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TheStreet lowered Encore Capital Group from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group in a report on Wednesday.

Encore Capital Group Trading Up 1.0 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.54. The company’s fifty day moving average is $46.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.95.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The asset manager reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $277.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $330.77 million. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 9.46% and a negative net margin of 16.89%. Research analysts predict that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Encore Capital Group

In related news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 5,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $275,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 42,404 shares in the company, valued at $2,120,200. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group during the fourth quarter worth about $452,000. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new stake in Encore Capital Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,457,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 16,126 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $819,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 41.7% in the 4th quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 10,435 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $530,000 after purchasing an additional 3,072 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 66,852 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $3,393,000 after purchasing an additional 609 shares in the last quarter.

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.