Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) Shares Acquired by Vest Financial LLC

Vest Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT - Free Report) by 22.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 55,907 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 10,289 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Essent Group worth $3,227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in Essent Group by 215.1% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 86,087 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,687,000 after purchasing an additional 58,768 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Essent Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,570,532 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $85,500,000 after buying an additional 19,387 shares during the period. Interval Partners LP raised its position in Essent Group by 17.9% during the 4th quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 221,710 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $12,070,000 after buying an additional 33,698 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Essent Group by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 516,747 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,132,000 after acquiring an additional 27,077 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Essent Group by 30.9% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 112,394 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,119,000 after acquiring an additional 26,537 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.00% of the company's stock.

Essent Group Trading Up 0.7%

ESNT stock traded up $0.38 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $57.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 436,439 shares, compared to its average volume of 646,325. Essent Group Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $51.61 and a fifty-two week high of $65.34. The stock has a market cap of $5.87 billion, a PE ratio of 8.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.81. The company's 50 day moving average is $56.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.52.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The financial services provider reported $1.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.03. Essent Group had a net margin of 58.69% and a return on equity of 13.35%. The business had revenue of $317.56 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $311.18 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.70 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Essent Group Ltd. will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essent Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 30th will be issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 30th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.14%. Essent Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on ESNT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Essent Group in a research report on Friday, May 9th. BTIG Research reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Essent Group in a report on Friday, May 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Essent Group in a 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 target for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Compass Point set a $69.00 price target on shares of Essent Group and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $63.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at Essent Group

In related news, SVP Mary Lourdes Gibbons sold 1,777 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.07, for a total value of $106,744.39. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 253,022 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,199,031.54. The trade was a 0.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Douglas J. Pauls sold 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $1,624,467. This trade represents a 9.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 5,001 shares of company stock valued at $299,591 over the last 90 days. 2.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Essent Group Profile

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.