Q1 EPS Estimate for Encore Capital Group Boosted by Analyst

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG) – Equities research analysts at Northland Securities upped their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for Encore Capital Group in a research note issued on Wednesday, February 25th. Northland Securities analyst M. Grondahl now anticipates that the asset manager will earn $2.80 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $2.00. The consensus estimate for Encore Capital Group’s current full-year earnings is $5.09 per share. Northland Securities also issued estimates for Encore Capital Group’s Q2 2026 earnings at $3.04 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $3.00 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $3.15 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $12.00 EPS.

ECPG has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encore Capital Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Encore Capital Group from $59.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research lowered Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. 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 research note on Thursday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.50.

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

ECPG stock opened at $68.29 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.46 billion, a PE ratio of 6.23 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.10. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $56.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.59. Encore Capital Group has a 12-month low of $26.45 and a 12-month high of $68.75.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $1.17. The business had revenue of $473.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $423.14 million. Encore Capital Group had a net margin of 14.52% and a return on equity of 28.19%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned ($9.42) earnings per share.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Laura Olle sold 1,423 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.79, for a total value of $75,120.17. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 35,024 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,848,916.96. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $137,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 55,410 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,047,550. This trade represents a 4.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.63% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECPG. IFP Advisors Inc raised its position in Encore Capital Group by 1,729.6% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 494 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 185.7% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 717 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 466 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 29.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,139 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the period. Finally, LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Encore Capital Group in the third quarter worth $88,000.

Trending Headlines about Encore Capital Group

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.