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

Key Points

• FY2026 EPS guidance of 13.00, well above the consensus of 11.87, while the company did not provide revenue guidance.
• Encore beat quarterly estimates, reporting $3.37 EPS vs $2.20 expected and $473.6M revenue vs $423.1M expected, with revenue up 78.3% year‑over‑year after a year‑ago loss.
• Shares trade near a 52‑week high (~$84.24) with a market cap of $1.81B and a low P/E of 7.7; analysts rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $80.50.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 13.000-13.000 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 11.870. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Encore Capital Group Stock Performance

ECPG traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $84.24. 252,482 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 265,808. The company's 50-day moving average is $72.96 and its 200 day moving average is $59.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 7.69 and a beta of 1.33. Encore Capital Group has a 52 week low of $32.66 and a 52 week high of $85.74.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.20 by $1.17. The business had revenue of $473.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $423.14 million. Encore Capital Group had a net margin of 14.52% and a return on equity of 28.19%. The firm's revenue was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($9.42) EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Encore Capital Group will post 11.97 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ECPG shares. Northland Securities set a $70.00 target price on Encore Capital Group in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citizens Jmp boosted their price target on Encore Capital Group from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a "market outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encore Capital Group from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Citigroup reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $80.50.

Insider Transactions at Encore Capital Group

In other Encore Capital Group news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 7,240 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.04, for a total value of $499,849.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 48,170 shares in the company, valued at $3,325,656.80. This represents a 13.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.63% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 78.0% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 412,498 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $22,419,000 after purchasing an additional 180,733 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Encore Capital Group by 11.8% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 371,916 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $20,214,000 after buying an additional 39,214 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 170,002 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $9,240,000 after acquiring an additional 3,951 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 488.1% in the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 154,128 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $8,377,000 after acquiring an additional 127,920 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 10.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 139,465 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $7,580,000 after acquiring an additional 12,708 shares during the period.

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.

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