Bessemer Group Inc. Buys 14,016 Shares of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT)

Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT - Free Report) by 4.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 347,164 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 14,016 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.33% of Essent Group worth $20,037,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ESNT. Mainstream Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Essent Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc acquired a new position in Essent Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Picton Mahoney Asset Management boosted its position in Essent Group by 68.8% during the fourth quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 584 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in Essent Group by 53.3% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,125 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Essent Group by 330.6% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,098 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 843 shares during the last quarter. 93.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Essent Group

In other Essent Group news, CFO David B. Weinstock sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $58.79, for a total transaction of $146,975.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 27,365 shares in the company, valued at $1,608,788.35. This trade represents a 8.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Douglas J. Pauls sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.80, for a total value of $179,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 27,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,624,467. This trade represents a 9.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 9,500 shares of company stock worth $566,506. Company insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Essent Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ESNT traded up $0.15 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $60.68. 1,584,219 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 662,249. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.48 and a beta of 0.81. Essent Group Ltd. has a 52 week low of $51.61 and a 52 week high of $65.34. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $58.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.73.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The financial services provider reported $1.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $317.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $311.18 million. Essent Group had a return on equity of 12.98% and a net margin of 57.29%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.70 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Essent Group Ltd. will post 6.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Essent Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 30th were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 30th. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.04%. Essent Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on ESNT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Essent Group in a research report on Friday, May 9th. BTIG Research reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Essent Group in a research report on Friday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Essent Group from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $60.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Compass Point set a $69.00 price objective on Essent Group and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Essent Group in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $63.29.

About Essent Group

Essent Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides private mortgage insurance and reinsurance for mortgages secured by residential properties located in the United States. Its mortgage insurance products include primary, pool, and master policy. The company also provides information technology maintenance and development services; customer support-related services; underwriting consulting; and contract underwriting services, as well as risk management products and title insurance and settlement services.