Analysts Set Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) Price Target at $66.00

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $66.00.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ECPG. Wall Street Zen cut Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Citizens Jmp raised their price target on Encore Capital Group from $59.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $70.00 price target on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd.

Encore Capital Group Stock Performance

ECPG opened at $57.47 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -31.40 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a fifty day moving average of $55.67 and a 200 day moving average of $48.26. Encore Capital Group has a fifty-two week low of $26.45 and a fifty-two week high of $59.20.

Insider Transactions at Encore Capital Group

In other news, insider John Yung sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.00, for a total value of $52,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 56,609 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,943,668. This trade represents a 1.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $137,500.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 55,410 shares in the company, valued at $3,047,550. The trade was a 4.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,923 shares of company stock worth $264,620 in the last three months. Insiders own 2.63% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ECPG. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Encore Capital Group in the second quarter worth about $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 1,729.6% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 494 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 185.7% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 717 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 29.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,139 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Encore Capital Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $88,000.

About Encore Capital Group

Encore Capital Group, Inc is a global specialty finance company that focuses on the purchase and management of nonperforming consumer receivables. Through its subsidiaries, the company acquires charged-off debt portfolios from credit card issuers, banks, and other financial institutions, and seeks to recover outstanding balances through a combination of customer outreach, payment arrangements, and, where appropriate, legal collection efforts. Encore’s business model emphasizes compliance with regulatory and industry standards to ensure ethical and transparent debt-recovery practices.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Encore operates across North America and Europe.