GSA Capital Partners LLP Takes $1.12 Million Position in Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG)

GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 32,578 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $1,117,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP owned about 0.14% of Encore Capital Group as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 120.8% in the fourth quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 530 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Encore Capital Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 827.2% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 751 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 670 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 152.5% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,333 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 805 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corton Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Encore Capital Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $208,000.

Encore Capital Group Stock Down 1.6%

ECPG opened at $36.97 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.63. Encore Capital Group Inc has a 1-year low of $26.45 and a 1-year high of $51.77. The company has a market capitalization of $863.25 million, a PE ratio of -7.56 and a beta of 1.59. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $39.41.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The asset manager reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.69. Encore Capital Group had a negative net margin of 8.38% and a positive return on equity of 16.18%. The business had revenue of $392.78 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $374.49 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 19.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Encore Capital Group Inc will post 5.09 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $62.67.

Encore Capital Group 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.