Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Hits New 1-Year Low - What's Next?

Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $29.87 and last traded at $31.10, with a volume of 196141 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.54.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ECPG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Northland Securities lifted their price target 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. StockNews.com lowered Encore Capital Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, April 4th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on Encore Capital Group from $64.00 to $57.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $62.67.

Encore Capital Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $750.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.04 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $39.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $44.87.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The asset manager reported $1.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $265.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $373.40 million. Encore Capital Group had a negative net margin of 13.91% and a positive return on equity of 12.70%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Encore Capital Group news, Director Ashwini Gupta purchased 40,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $35.10 per share, with a total value of $1,404,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 96,909 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,401,505.90. The trade was a 70.29 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Ashish Masih purchased 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $35.14 per share, with a total value of $702,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 322,254 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,324,005.56. The trade was a 6.62 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.63% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 191.7% during the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 49,719 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,350,000 after buying an additional 32,672 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp increased its position in Encore Capital Group by 317.0% during the 4th quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 13,080 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $625,000 after purchasing an additional 9,943 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Encore Capital Group by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 512,042 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $24,460,000 after purchasing an additional 30,545 shares during the period. Semanteon Capital Management LP bought a new position in Encore Capital Group in the 4th quarter worth $643,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $35,752,000 after purchasing an additional 104,509 shares during the period.

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.