<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) insider Ryan Bell sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total transaction of $137,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 55,410 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,047,550. The trade was a 4.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.</p><div><p><span></span><span>Get <strong>Encore Capital Group</strong> alerts:</span></p></div><h2>Encore Capital Group Stock Up 1.0%</h2><ul><li>3 Stocks You’ll Love to Own, But Hate To Encounter</li></ul><p>Shares of Encore Capital Group stock traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $55.88. 327,072 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 239,367. The firm has a market cap of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of -30.54 and a beta of 1.48. The stock's fifty day moving average is $46.86 and its 200 day moving average is $42.63. Encore Capital Group Inc has a 1 year low of $26.45 and a 1 year high of $56.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.66. </p><p>Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The asset manager reported $3.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.92 by $1.25. Encore Capital Group had a positive return on equity of 25.27% and a negative net margin of 2.89%.The business had revenue of $460.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $410.70 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.26 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 25.4% on a year-over-year basis.  As a group, equities research analysts forecast that  Encore Capital Group Inc will post 5.09 earnings per share for the current year. </p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><p>Several brokerages recently weighed in on ECPG. Weiss Ratings  reaffirmed a &#34;sell (d-)&#34; rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Encore Capital Group from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Encore Capital Group from a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating to a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a report on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott increased their target price on shares of Encore Capital Group from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. One investment analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned  a Buy rating and one  has issued  a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company  has a consensus rating of &#34;Moderate Buy&#34; and an average price target of $61.67.</p><p><b>Read Our Latest Research Report on ECPG</b></p><h2>Institutional Trading of Encore Capital Group</h2><p>Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in  Encore Capital Group by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 1,248,831 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $48,342,000 after acquiring an additional 104,367 shares during the last quarter.  Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of  Encore Capital Group by 13.0% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 790,392 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $27,095,000 after purchasing an additional 91,019 shares during the period.  First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of  Encore Capital Group by 379.7% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 98,817 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $4,125,000 after purchasing an additional 78,217 shares during the last quarter.  Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of  Encore Capital Group by 476.6% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 92,978 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $3,599,000 after purchasing an additional 76,852 shares during the last quarter.  Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of  Encore Capital Group by 383.0% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 66,499 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $2,776,000 after purchasing an additional 52,730 shares during the period. </p><h2>Encore Capital Group Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>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.</p><h2>See Also</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Encore Capital Group</li><li>What is the S&amp;P/TSX Index?</li><li>3 Recently Downgraded Stocks to Avoid in 2026</li><li>When to Sell a Stock for Profit or Loss</li><li>The Chip Boom Is Back: 3 Stocks Positioned for Huge Gains</li><li>Health Care Stocks Explained: Why You Might Want to Invest</li><li>Oracle Stock Hit Hard: Why Its AI Pipeline Could Drive a 2026 Rally</li></ul><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Encore Capital Group Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Encore Capital Group, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Encore Capital Group wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Encore Capital Group currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

ECPG

<p>Encore Capital Group insider Ryan Bell sold 2,500 shares at $55.00 each, totaling $137,500. Post-sale, Bell owns 55,410 shares valued at $3,047,550, a 4.32% decrease in his holdings. The sale was disclosed in an SEC filing. Encore's stock rose 1.0% to $55.88. The company reported strong Q3 earnings, with EPS of $3.17 and revenue of $460.35 million. Analysts have mixed ratings, with a consensus of 'Moderate Buy' and a target price of $61.67. Institutional investors have recently increased their positions in the stock.</p>

Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Insider Sells $137,500.00 in Stock