Wall Street Zen Upgrades Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) to Buy

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on ECPG. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Thursday. Truist Financial raised their price objective on Encore Capital Group from $112.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Zacks Research lowered Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Northland Securities set a $124.00 target price on Encore Capital Group in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Encore Capital Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.67.

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

Encore Capital Group stock opened at $114.14 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.31 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.93, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Encore Capital Group has a 1 year low of $46.80 and a 1 year high of $126.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $99.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.22.

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The asset manager reported $5.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.35 by $2.22. Encore Capital Group had a net margin of 17.67% and a return on equity of 33.67%. The business had revenue of $544.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.80 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.17 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Encore Capital Group will post 16.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ECPG. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in Encore Capital Group by 185.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 366 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Encore Capital Group by 40.4% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 386 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in Encore Capital Group in the first quarter worth about $46,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Encore Capital Group during the second quarter valued at about $89,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Encore Capital Group by 26.8% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,339 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $126,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the last quarter.

Encore Capital Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Encore reported third-quarter EPS of $5.57, well above analysts’ expectations, while revenue also topped estimates. The company cited record global collections. Zacks Q3 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Encore raised its 2026 outlook, forecasting EPS of $15.50–$16 and portfolio purchases of $1.5–$1.55 billion—supportive signs for expected earnings and growth. Raised 2026 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Truist maintained its Buy rating, while Citizens JMP set a $140 price target and an Outperform rating. Northland also lifted several 2027 quarterly EPS estimates. Citizens JMP price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Northland lowered its Q4 2026 EPS estimate to $3.52 from $3.64, though it raised estimates for multiple 2027 quarters. Northland estimate update
• Negative Sentiment: ECPG fell back after its earnings-driven surge. Truist’s Buy rating was maintained rather than upgraded, and the latest report offers no fresh company-specific explanation for the pullback. Share pullback and Truist rating

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

Encore Capital Group, Inc is a specialty finance company that purchases portfolios of charged-off consumer receivables and provides debt recovery and management services. Through its operating businesses, the company works with consumers to resolve outstanding obligations through payment plans and other repayment arrangements.

Encore serves consumers and creditors across multiple markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom and other European countries. Its major operating platforms include Midland Credit Management in the United States and Cabot Credit Management in Europe.