Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group from $59.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Northland Securities set a $70.00 price target on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Janney Montgomery Scott increased their price target on Encore Capital Group from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Citizens Jmp lifted their price objective on Encore Capital Group from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.50.

Encore Capital Group Stock Performance

Shares of ECPG stock opened at $68.29 on Friday. Encore Capital Group has a 52 week low of $26.45 and a 52 week high of $68.75. The company has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $56.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $49.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.66.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $1.17. Encore Capital Group had a return on equity of 28.88% and a net margin of 14.52%.The business had revenue of $473.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $423.14 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($9.42) EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 78.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Encore Capital Group will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Laura Olle sold 1,423 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.79, for a total value of $75,120.17. Following the sale, the director directly owned 35,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,848,916.96. This represents a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 2,500 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total transaction of $137,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 55,410 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,047,550. This represents a 4.32% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 2.54% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Encore Capital Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $388,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in Encore Capital Group during the 3rd quarter worth $991,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group by 16.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 274,318 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $11,450,000 after acquiring an additional 38,908 shares in the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group in the second quarter valued at about $371,000. Finally, Stephens Investment Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 4.8% during the third quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 1,308,252 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $54,606,000 after purchasing an additional 59,421 shares in the last quarter.

Encore Capital Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Encore Capital Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Big Q4 beat: Encore reported $3.37 GAAP EPS vs. $2.20 consensus and revenue of $473.6M vs. $423.1M, with revenue up ~78% y/y — evidence of accelerating core performance that supports valuation re‑rating. MarketBeat Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Very strong FY‑2026 guidance: Management set EPS guidance at $12.00 for FY‑2026 (consensus ~$8.76), signaling materially higher earnings power and margin leverage going forward — a primary driver of the rally. Seeking Alpha Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades / price‑target raises: Citizens Jmp raised its PT to $90 (market outperform) and Truist raised its PT to $80 (buy), reflecting renewed analyst confidence and providing upward price momentum. Benzinga PT Raises
• Positive Sentiment: Management growth plans: Encore expects ~10% EPS growth to $12 in 2026 and is targeting $1.4B–$1.5B in portfolio purchases — indicating management is accelerating asset acquisition to sustain future revenue and earnings growth. Earnings Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials available: Full earnings slide deck and the Q4 earnings call transcript are published (useful for modeling and Q&A details). Earnings Transcript

About Encore Capital Group

Encore Capital Group, Inc is a global specialty finance company that focuses on the purchase and management of nonperforming consumer receivables. Through its subsidiaries, the company acquires charged-off debt portfolios from credit card issuers, banks, and other financial institutions, and seeks to recover outstanding balances through a combination of customer outreach, payment arrangements, and, where appropriate, legal collection efforts. Encore’s business model emphasizes compliance with regulatory and industry standards to ensure ethical and transparent debt-recovery practices.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Encore operates across North America and Europe.