Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) Stock Price Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Price action: Essent (ESNT) slipped below its 200‑day moving average of $61.54, trading as low as $60.64 and last at $60.91 on volume of 443,705 shares.
• Analyst outlook: Analysts are mixed (five Buy, six Hold) with a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $67.86, with recent targets ranging roughly $63–$75.
• Fundamentals and dividend: the company missed quarterly EPS ($1.60 vs. $1.74) but shows strong profitability and low leverage (net margin 54.72%, ROE 12.09%, debt/equity 0.09) and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.35 (annualized $1.40, ~2.3% yield).

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT - Get Free Report) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $61.54 and traded as low as $60.64. Essent Group shares last traded at $60.9140, with a volume of 443,705 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on ESNT shares. Roth Mkm increased their price objective on Essent Group from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Essent Group from $65.00 to $63.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Essent Group from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Essent Group from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $70.00 price objective on shares of Essent Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Essent Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $67.86.

Essent Group Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.73 billion, a PE ratio of 8.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $60.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.54.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, February 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.74 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $312.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $312.62 million. Essent Group had a net margin of 54.72% and a return on equity of 12.09%. The business's revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.58 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Essent Group Ltd. will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Essent Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were given a $0.35 dividend. This is a boost from Essent Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Essent Group's payout ratio is presently 20.32%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essent Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Essent Group by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 4,832 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Essent Group by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,238 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $211,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Essent Group by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 3,551 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $212,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Essent Group by 45.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 624 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Essent Group by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC now owns 11,830 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $752,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.00% of the company's stock.

Essent Group Company Profile

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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