Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Trading Up 3%

Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 3% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $44.61 and last traded at $41.74. Approximately 39,745 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 76% from the average daily volume of 162,991 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.54.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on ECPG shares. TheStreet downgraded Encore Capital Group from a "c-" rating to a "d+" rating in a research report on Monday, March 18th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Wednesday.

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average is $47.12 and its 200-day moving average is $46.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $970.73 million, a P/E ratio of -4.69 and a beta of 1.36.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The asset manager reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.03. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 9.46% and a negative net margin of 16.89%. The company had revenue of $277.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $330.77 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encore Capital Group

In other news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $275,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 42,404 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,120,200. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund acquired a new position in Encore Capital Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $639,000. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 93,414 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $4,461,000 after acquiring an additional 6,429 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,679,467 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $80,211,000 after purchasing an additional 11,195 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 232,440 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $11,101,000 after purchasing an additional 13,045 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group in the third quarter worth approximately $453,000.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

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.