Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyEncore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 12.000-12.000 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 8.760. The company issued revenue guidance of -.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research firms recently commented on ECPG. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Northland Securities set a $70.00 target price on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citizens Jmp raised their target price on shares of Encore Capital Group from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.50.
Read Our Latest Analysis on ECPG
Encore Capital Group Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ ECPG traded up $5.84 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $65.01. 399,008 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 171,405. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $56.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $49.18. The company has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a PE ratio of -35.58 and a beta of 1.41. 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 has a 1-year low of $26.45 and a 1-year high of $65.50.
Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $473.55 million during 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%.Encore Capital Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 78.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($9.42) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Encore Capital Group will post 5.09 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity at Encore Capital Group
In related news, Director Laura Olle sold 1,423 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $137,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 55,410 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,047,550. This represents a 4.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 2.54% of the company’s stock.
Key Encore Capital Group News
Here are the key news stories impacting Encore Capital Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $12.00, well above the consensus of $8.76 — a large upward revision that shifts investor expectations for profitability and cash generation.
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 2025 results topped estimates: EPS $3.37 vs $2.20 expected and revenue $473.6M vs $423.1M expected; revenue was up ~78% year‑over‑year. These beats underpin the stronger guidance. MarketBeat Q4 coverage
- Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated growth targets — expecting ~10% EPS growth to ~$12 in 2026 and targeting $1.4B–$1.5B in portfolio purchases, which supports revenue and earnings runway. Seeking Alpha article
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price‑target raises: Truist raised its target to $80 (buy) and Citizens Jmp raised its target to $90 (market outperform), signaling increased sell‑side conviction and adding upside to the stock. Benzinga coverage
- Neutral Sentiment: Earnings‑call materials and full transcript are available for deeper read on drivers (collections, portfolio mix, buyback/return plans). Investors can review the call transcript and slide deck for detail. Earnings call transcript
- Negative Sentiment: Operational/financial risks remain: reported a negative net margin (-2.89%) and the company carries relatively high leverage (debt/equity ~4.1), which could amplify downside in a worse macro or collections environment.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 168.9% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,716 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 1,706 shares in the last quarter. Virtus Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encore Capital Group during the third quarter valued at approximately $143,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encore Capital Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in Encore Capital Group during the fourth quarter worth $211,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in Encore Capital Group in the 4th quarter valued at $228,000.
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.