DOWLING & PARTN Comments on Essent Group FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• DOWLING & PARTN trimmed its outlook for Essent Group, projecting FY2026 EPS of $7.05 versus the current consensus of $7.32. It also estimated FY2027 EPS at $7.25 and FY2028 EPS at $7.60.
• Essent Group’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with $1.82 EPS topping estimates and revenue of $336.07 million exceeding forecasts. Revenue rose 5.8% year over year, and the company reported a strong 12.01% return on equity.
• The stock traded down 1.7% to $59.39, while the company announced a quarterly $0.35 dividend payable June 10, representing an annualized yield of about 2.4%. Analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $67.86.

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT - Free Report) - Analysts at DOWLING & PARTN issued their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Essent Group in a report released on Wednesday, May 20th. DOWLING & PARTN analyst G. Dunn forecasts that the financial services provider will earn $7.05 per share for the year. The consensus estimate for Essent Group's current full-year earnings is $7.32 per share. DOWLING & PARTN also issued estimates for Essent Group's FY2027 earnings at $7.25 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $7.60 EPS.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.14. Essent Group had a return on equity of 12.01% and a net margin of 53.64%.The firm had revenue of $336.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $297.56 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.69 earnings per share. Essent Group's quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on ESNT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Essent Group from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Barclays upped their price target on Essent Group from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Essent Group in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Essent Group in a report on Friday, May 22nd. They issued a "sector perform" rating and a $68.00 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on Essent Group from $65.00 to $63.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Essent Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $67.86.

Essent Group Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of ESNT stock opened at $59.39 on Thursday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $60.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.79. Essent Group has a 1-year low of $55.22 and a 1-year high of $67.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a PE ratio of 8.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.32.

Essent Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Essent Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Mark Casale sold 13,064 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.05, for a total value of $849,813.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 2,218,480 shares in the company, valued at $144,312,124. This represents a 0.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Mary Lourdes Gibbons sold 4,250 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.01, for a total value of $276,292.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 233,336 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,169,173.36. This represents a 1.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,814 shares of company stock worth $1,661,682. Insiders own 3.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essent Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Essent Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Essent Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Essent Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Essent Group by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 624 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Essent Group by 97.1% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 676 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.00% of the company's stock.

About Essent Group

Essent Group Ltd. NYSE: ESNT is a publicly traded insurance holding company specializing in private mortgage insurance and mortgage reinsurance solutions. Through its primary subsidiary, Essent Guaranty, the company provides credit protection to mortgage lenders, helping mitigate the risk of borrower default on residential mortgage loans. Essent's insurance policies enable lenders to offer low-down-payment programs, supporting homebuyers in achieving homeownership with reduced upfront equity requirements.

Beyond traditional mortgage insurance, Essent offers a suite of risk management and analytics services designed to help financial institutions monitor and manage mortgage portfolios.

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