Short Interest in Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) Declines By 13.3%

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,691,860 shares, a decline of 13.3% from the January 15th total of 1,950,331 shares. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 740,623 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 740,623 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Essent Group Stock Performance

Shares of Essent Group stock traded up $0.31 on Tuesday, hitting $61.73. The stock had a trading volume of 42,308 shares, compared to its average volume of 685,432. The stock has a market cap of $5.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Essent Group has a 52-week low of $51.61 and a 52-week high of $67.09. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $63.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.45.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 13th. The financial services provider reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.74 by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $312.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $312.62 million. Essent Group had a net margin of 54.72% and a return on equity of 12.09%. Essent Group’s quarterly revenue was down .8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.58 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Essent Group will post 6.88 EPS for the current year.

Essent Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. This is a boost from Essent Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. Essent Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ESNT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Roth Mkm boosted their price target on shares of Essent Group from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on shares of Essent Group from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Essent Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays set a $63.00 price target on Essent Group in a report on Tuesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Essent Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Essent Group

In related news, SVP Mary Lourdes Gibbons sold 4,352 shares of Essent Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total value of $291,584.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 237,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,939,032. This trade represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Essent Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Essent Group in the second quarter valued at $346,000. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in Essent Group by 163.7% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 20,075 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,219,000 after buying an additional 12,462 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Essent Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $575,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its stake in shares of Essent Group by 3.7% during the second quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 12,967 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $787,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Essent Group during the second quarter worth about $12,712,000. 93.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Essent Group Company Profile

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a publicly traded insurance holding company specializing in private mortgage insurance and mortgage reinsurance solutions. Through its primary subsidiary, Essent Guaranty, the company provides credit protection to mortgage lenders, helping mitigate the risk of borrower default on residential mortgage loans. Essent’s insurance policies enable lenders to offer low-down-payment programs, supporting homebuyers in achieving homeownership with reduced upfront equity requirements.

Beyond traditional mortgage insurance, Essent offers a suite of risk management and analytics services designed to help financial institutions monitor and manage mortgage portfolios.