Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the four brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $65.00.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Northland Securities increased their price target on Encore Capital Group from $58.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 23rd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 29th. Finally, JMP Securities raised their price target on shares of Encore Capital Group from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th.

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

Encore Capital Group stock opened at $51.25 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $48.64 and its 200 day moving average is $48.01. Encore Capital Group has a one year low of $39.64 and a one year high of $53.72. The firm has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.53 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.39, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Insider Activity

In other Encore Capital Group news, Director Laura Olle sold 1,340 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.16, for a total transaction of $65,874.40. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 32,381 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,591,849.96. This trade represents a 3.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,588,969 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $123,675,000 after acquiring an additional 16,663 shares during the period. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,416,499 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $67,667,000 after purchasing an additional 327,637 shares during the last quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 1,137,752 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $53,782,000 after purchasing an additional 5,373 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 900,677 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $42,575,000 after buying an additional 2,597 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Encore Capital Group by 16.0% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 756,335 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $35,752,000 after buying an additional 104,509 shares during the period.

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.