Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Has $2.67 Million Holdings in Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. trimmed its holdings in Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT - Free Report) by 17.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,294 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 9,897 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.'s holdings in Essent Group were worth $2,672,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in ESNT. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in shares of Essent Group by 53.3% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,125 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $85,500,000 after acquiring an additional 19,387 shares during the last quarter. Mainstream Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Essent Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Keybank National Association OH increased its holdings in shares of Essent Group by 28.6% in the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 5,388 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $293,000 after acquiring an additional 1,199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Essent Group by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 70,740 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,851,000 after acquiring an additional 1,680 shares during the last quarter. 93.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Essent Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESNT traded up $0.78 on Friday, hitting $61.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 339,363 shares, compared to its average volume of 664,711. Essent Group Ltd. has a 12 month low of $51.61 and a 12 month high of $65.34. The company has a market capitalization of $6.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.81. The stock's 50-day moving average is $58.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.98.

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

Essent Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 30th were issued a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 30th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.00%. Essent Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Activity at Essent Group

In related news, Director Douglas J. Pauls sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.80, for a total value of $179,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 27,165 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,624,467. This represents a 9.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Mary Lourdes Gibbons sold 1,999 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $119,940.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 251,023 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,061,380. This trade represents a 0.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 9,740 shares of company stock valued at $581,386 over the last 90 days. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Essent Group Company 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.