Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) Hits New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

21 Feb 2026, 04:50 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Encore Capital Group Inc (NASDAQ:ECPG – Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $59.59 and last traded at $58.2290, with a volume of 36515 shares. The stock had previously closed at $57.29.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on ECPG shares. Northland Securities set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research lowered Encore Capital Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, January 5th. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Janney Montgomery Scott increased their price objective on Encore Capital Group from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Encore Capital Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Encore Capital Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $66.00.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Encore Capital Group

Encore Capital Group Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -31.92 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.66. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $55.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.69.

Insider Activity

In other Encore Capital Group news, insider John Yung sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.00, for a total transaction of $52,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 56,609 shares in the company, valued at $2,943,668. This trade represents a 1.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Laura Olle sold 1,423 shares of Encore Capital Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.79, for a total value of $75,120.17. Following the sale, the director directly owned 35,024 shares in the company, valued at $1,848,916.96. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 4,923 shares of company stock worth $264,620. Corporate insiders own 2.54% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encore Capital Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 29.1% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,139 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Encore Capital Group by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 66,825 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $3,632,000 after purchasing an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in Encore Capital Group by 0.5% in the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 70,836 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,957,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 5.6% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 8,517 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $355,000 after purchasing an additional 448 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Encore Capital Group by 185.7% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 717 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares during the last quarter.

Encore Capital Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.