Vanguard Group Inc. Has $123.68 Million Position in Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG)

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,588,969 shares of the asset manager's stock after acquiring an additional 16,663 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 10.93% of Encore Capital Group worth $123,675,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 16.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 756,335 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $35,752,000 after purchasing an additional 104,509 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its stake in Encore Capital Group by 22.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 197,903 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $9,355,000 after buying an additional 36,822 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 191.7% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 49,719 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,350,000 after acquiring an additional 32,672 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 512,042 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $24,460,000 after acquiring an additional 30,545 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Encore Capital Group by 2.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 570,047 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $26,952,000 after acquiring an additional 13,648 shares during the last quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Encore Capital Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, April 4th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Encore Capital Group from $64.00 to $57.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Northland Securities boosted their target price on shares of Encore Capital Group from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $62.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ashwini Gupta purchased 40,000 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $35.10 per share, for a total transaction of $1,404,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 96,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,401,505.90. This trade represents a 70.29 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ashish Masih acquired 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $35.14 per share, with a total value of $702,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 322,254 shares in the company, valued at $11,324,005.56. This represents a 6.62 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.63% of the company's stock.

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

Shares of ECPG traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $29.32. 332,830 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 185,477. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39. Encore Capital Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $26.45 and a fifty-two week high of $51.77. The company has a market cap of $694.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.74 and a beta of 1.58. The firm's fifty day moving average is $38.88 and its 200 day moving average is $44.61.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The asset manager reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.55 by ($0.05). Encore Capital Group had a negative net margin of 13.91% and a positive return on equity of 12.70%. The firm had revenue of $265.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $373.40 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.