Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) Short Interest Update

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,950,331 shares, a growth of 44.1% from the December 31st total of 1,353,395 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 716,099 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.7 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 716,099 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.7 days.

Essent Group Stock Performance

Shares of ESNT stock opened at $63.67 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.27, a PEG ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.90. Essent Group has a one year low of $51.61 and a one year high of $67.09. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $63.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 1.68.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($0.08). Essent Group had a net margin of 55.63% and a return on equity of 12.40%. The firm had revenue of $311.83 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $316.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.65 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Essent Group will post 6.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Essent Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Essent Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Essent Group from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Essent Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Essent Group from $66.00 to $65.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $70.00 target price on shares of Essent Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Essent Group from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Mary Lourdes Gibbons sold 4,352 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.00, for a total transaction of $291,584.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 237,896 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,939,032. This represents a 1.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Roy James Kasmar sold 3,250 shares of Essent Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.44, for a total transaction of $199,680.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 23,573 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,448,325.12. This trade represents a 12.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Essent Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Seizert Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Essent Group by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 74,992 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,875,000 after purchasing an additional 2,464 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Essent Group by 18.9% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 61,970 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,029,000 after buying an additional 9,863 shares during the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its stake in Essent Group by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 35,411 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,302,000 after acquiring an additional 1,142 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Essent Group during the fourth quarter worth about $228,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in Essent Group by 56.6% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 6,104 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $397,000 after acquiring an additional 2,206 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.00% of the company’s stock.

About Essent Group

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.