Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) Shares Acquired by Wedge Capital Management L L P NC

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC lifted its stake in shares of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG) by 34.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,183 shares of the asset manager’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,618 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Encore Capital Group were worth $517,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ECPG. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 396,879 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $18,955,000 after acquiring an additional 45,598 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 375,727 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $17,945,000 after acquiring an additional 40,258 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Encore Capital Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,242,000. Third Avenue Management LLC raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 17.7% during the 3rd quarter. Third Avenue Management LLC now owns 170,678 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $8,046,000 after acquiring an additional 25,723 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Shaker Investments LLC OH raised its stake in Encore Capital Group by 78.2% during the 3rd quarter. Shaker Investments LLC OH now owns 49,081 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $2,344,000 after acquiring an additional 21,545 shares in the last quarter.

Encore Capital Group Stock Performance

ECPG opened at $41.63 on Friday. Encore Capital Group, Inc. has a one year low of $34.74 and a one year high of $54.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.54, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $45.92 and its 200-day moving average is $46.69.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 21st. The asset manager reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $277.39 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $330.77 million. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 9.46% and a negative net margin of 16.89%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Encore Capital Group, Inc. will post 5.93 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ECPG has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. TheStreet downgraded Encore Capital Group from a “c-” rating to a “d+” rating in a research note on Monday, March 18th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Ryan B. Bell sold 5,500 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction on Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total value of $275,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 42,404 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,120,200. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

Encore Capital Group, Inc, a specialty finance company, provides debt recovery solutions and other related services for consumers across financial assets worldwide. The company purchases portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables at deep discounts to face value, as well as manages them by working with individuals as they repay their obligations and works toward financial recovery.