Truist Financial Issues Positive Forecast for Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Stock Price

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) had its target price upped by research analysts at Truist Financial from $59.00 to $80.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the asset manager’s stock. Truist Financial’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 35.20% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also commented on ECPG. Northland Securities set a $70.00 target price on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Citizens Jmp upped their price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group from $59.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $71.75.

Encore Capital Group Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ ECPG opened at $59.17 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $56.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.18. The company has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of -32.33 and a beta of 1.41. Encore Capital Group has a 12-month low of $26.45 and a 12-month high of $59.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The asset manager reported $3.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $1.17. The business had revenue of $473.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $423.14 million. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 25.27% and a negative net margin of 2.89%.The company’s revenue was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted ($9.42) EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Encore Capital Group will post 5.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 2,500 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total transaction of $137,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 55,410 shares in the company, valued at $3,047,550. The trade was a 4.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Laura Olle sold 1,423 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $1,848,916.96. This represents a 3.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.54% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ECPG. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Encore Capital Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $201,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 9,053 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $492,000 after purchasing an additional 3,924 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 102,502 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $5,571,000 after purchasing an additional 3,951 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 18.2% during the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 6,915 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 1,063 shares during the period. Finally, VARCOV Co. acquired a new position in Encore Capital Group in the 4th quarter valued at $599,000.

Encore Capital Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company set FY2026 EPS guidance of $12.00, well above consensus of $8.76 — a big upside to expectations that likely drove buying interest.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 2025 results beat estimates: EPS $3.37 vs. $2.20 expected and revenue $473.6M vs. $423.1M expected; revenue was up ~78% year‑over‑year, signaling strong growth momentum. Encore Capital Group Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and details are available in the Q4 earnings call transcript for investors wanting line‑by‑line color on drivers behind the guide and recoveries. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media summaries/snapshots published summarizing the results and company commentary — useful for quick context and third‑party framing. Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Delivers Strong Q4 CY2025 Numbers
• Negative Sentiment: Company still shows a negative net margin (-2.89% in the release) despite the beat; operational profitability and sustainability of margins remain risks as the company scales.
• Negative Sentiment: Balance‑sheet leverage is high (debt/equity ~4.1 per recent company data), which increases sensitivity to credit cycles and could limit optionality despite stronger earnings.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

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.