Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Stock Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $40.19 and traded as high as $40.80. Encore Capital Group shares last traded at $39.04, with a volume of 356,853 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Encore Capital Group presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $62.67.

Encore Capital Group Stock Down 1.8%

The business's 50-day moving average is $38.98 and its 200-day moving average is $40.08. The company has a market capitalization of $881.19 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.72 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.63.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The asset manager reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.69. The business had revenue of $392.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $374.49 million. Encore Capital Group had a negative net margin of 8.38% and a positive return on equity of 16.18%. The company's revenue was up 19.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.95 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Encore Capital Group Inc will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Encore Capital Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ECPG. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 120.8% during the fourth quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 530 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 345.1% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 819 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 635 shares in the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 827.2% during the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 751 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 670 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank grew its stake in Encore Capital Group by 152.5% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,333 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 805 shares in the last quarter.

About Encore Capital Group

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.