Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Stock Price Up 3%

Shares of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) traded up 3% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $44.61 and last traded at $41.74. 39,745 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 162,991 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.54.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, TheStreet cut shares of Encore Capital Group from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a report on Monday, March 18th.

Encore Capital Group Stock Up 4.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.54, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $47.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $47.03.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 21st. The asset manager reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $277.39 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $330.77 million. Sell-side analysts forecast that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Encore Capital Group news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 5,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $275,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 42,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,120,200. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 9.6% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,423 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $110,000 after acquiring an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC now owns 7,808 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $396,000 after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,422 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 13,683 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $694,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sheets Smith Wealth Management boosted its stake in Encore Capital Group by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 14,043 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $671,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period.

About Encore Capital Group

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.