ECPG

SAN DIEGO, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:ECPG), an international specialty finance company, announced today that it will release its financial results for the second quarter 2026 on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, after the market closes. The Company will also host a conference call and slide presentation the same day at 2:00 p.m. Pacific / 5:00 p.m. Eastern time with Ashish Masih, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tomas Hernanz, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and Bruce Thomas, Vice President, Global Investor Relations, presenting and discussing the reported results. Members of the public are invited to access the live webcast via the Internet by logging in on the Investor Relations page of Encore's website at www.encorecapital.com. To access the live conference call by telephone, please pre-register using this link. Registrants will receive confirmation with dial-in details. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website shortly after the call concludes. About Encore Capital Group, Inc. Encore Capital Group is an international specialty finance company that provides debt recovery solutions and other related services for consumers across a broad range of financial assets. Through its subsidiaries around the globe, Encore purchases portfolios of consumer receivables from major banks, credit unions, and utility providers. Encore partners with individuals as they repay their debt obligations, helping them on the road to financial recovery and ultimately improving their economic well-being. Encore is the first and only company of its kind to operate with a Consumer Bill of Rights that provides industry-leading commitments to consumers. Headquartered in San Diego, Encore is a publicly traded NASDAQ Global Select company (ticker symbol: ECPG) and a component stock of the Russell 2000, the S&P Small Cap 600 and the Wilshire 4500. More information about the company can be found at www.encorecapital.com. Contact: Bruce Thomas Encore Capital Group, Inc. [email protected] SOURCE: Encore Capital Group, Inc.

Make better investment decisions with Simply Wall St's easy, visual tools that give you a competitive edge. Encore Capital Group stock has rallied strongly over the past year, yet its current valuation checks paint a more mixed picture rather than a clear bargain or clear excess. The share price has delivered a 120.1% return over the past year, which puts extra focus on whether that run is supported by sustainable earnings and cash flows. Growing supply of non performing consumer debt and operational gains from technology can support investor expectations, while higher legal costs, funding pressures and a relatively high net debt load may limit how much value the market is willing to ascribe to future growth. Encore Capital Group scores 4 out of 6 on our valuation checks, indicating a mixed valuation picture where some metrics look inexpensive and others less so. The issue now is whether Encore Capital Group's recent share price gains already reflect most of the value that its fundamentals can support. Encore Capital Group delivered 120.1% returns over the last year. See how this stacks up to the rest of the Consumer Finance industry. The P/E ratio is a useful yardstick for Encore Capital Group because earnings are a key driver for a consumer finance business built around collections and portfolio returns. Encore Capital Group currently trades on a P/E of about 6.6x, compared with an industry average of roughly 8.8x and a peer group average near 10.5x, which puts the stock at a clear discount to both benchmarks. On Simply Wall St’s more tailored fair P/E of 11.2x, which factors in Encore Capital Group’s business mix, size and risk profile, the current multiple also sits well below what might be expected. Despite recent news highlighting stronger revenue and higher guidance, the market is still valuing each dollar of Encore Capital Group’s earnings more cautiously than both the sector and the model imply. Taken together, the P/E comparison indicates that Encore Capital Group stock may be trading at a discount relative to its current level of earnings. See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown. Simply Wall St Narratives for Encore Capital Group pick up where the valuation puzzle leaves off by spelling out which assumptions on growth, margins and earnings would need to hold for the stock to be worth meaningfully more or les...

Encore Capital Group ECPG is no longer a turnaround story waiting for proof. Shares have climbed 56.2% in the past six months and 120.4% over the trailing 12-month period. The valuation question is now harder. Investors must decide whether low earnings multiples and higher profit forecasts still leave room for upside, or whether leverage and cost risks should cap the rerating. ECPG trades at 6.4X forward 12-month earnings, while its current fiscal-year price-to-earnings ratio is 6.6. That remains below 7.88X for the Zacks sub-industry, 16.29X for the Zacks Finance sector and 21.32X for the S&P 500 index.The stock is also trading at its five-year median forward multiple of 6.4X, despite a stronger operating setup than it had during weaker collection periods. Its five-year range of 4.14X to 12.84X leaves room for a higher multiple if earnings quality continues to improve. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research PRA Group, Inc. PRAA is the closest public comparison because it also acquires and collects nonperforming loan portfolios. That makes portfolio supply, funding access and recovery efficiency central issues for both companies. On the other hand, FirstCash Holdings, Inc. FCFS offers a different way to view consumer-finance exposure. Its pawn-focused model depends less on charged-off receivable purchases, making it a useful contrast to ECPG’s debt-purchasing cycle.At present, PRA Group and FirstCash Holdings are trading at a premium to ECPG. Encore’s latest quarter helped reset the earnings base. First-quarter 2026 earnings of $3.86 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 18.4%, while revenues of $475 million rose 21% year over year.The operating support was clear. Global collections increased 19% to a record $718.4 million, and the U.S. MCM business generated record collections of $556 million, up 23% from the prior-year quarter. Encore Capital Group Inc price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Encore Capital Group Inc Quote Management raised its 2026 earnings outlook to $13 per share from $12, implying 19% year-over-year growth. The consensus estimate shows earnings rising from $10.91 in 2025 to $13.01 in 2026 and $13.86 in 2027. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The $99 price target reflects 7.38X forward earnings. That is not an aggressive multiple relative to the broader market, but it does imply some rerating from the current 6.40X forward 1...

Encore Capital Group recently reported a year-on-year revenue increase and outperformance versus analyst expectations on earnings and EBITDA for the latest quarter, yet the market reaction over the past week has been relatively muted. This combination of stronger operating metrics and cautious investor response may highlight questions about how much further Encore can improve collections efficiency and profitability from here. Against this backdrop, we will explore how Encore’s earnings beat and restrained market reaction interact with its existing investment narrative. AI is about to change healthcare. These 39 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10b in market cap - there's still time to get in early. To own Encore Capital Group, you need to believe its analytics driven collections model can keep turning a large supply of charged off consumer debt into solid earnings, even as funding and regulatory conditions shift. The latest earnings beat and muted share price reaction do not appear to change the key near term catalyst, which remains management’s ability to convert elevated portfolio purchases into strong collections, or the biggest risk, which is its rising interest burden and dependence on capital markets. Among the recent announcements, Encore’s issuance of US$750.0 million of 6.625% senior secured notes due 2032 stands out because it directly affects that funding risk, by reshaping the company’s debt stack and interest obligations around its core collection driven earnings story and upcoming catalysts. Yet investors should also be aware of how Encore’s higher interest expense could limit the benefit of stronger collections if credit conditions were to tighten or refinancing options became less favorable... Read the full narrative on Encore Capital Group (it's free!) Encore Capital Group’s narrative projects $1.9 billion revenue and $243.5 million earnings by 2029. This is based on revenue remaining fairly flat each year and implies an earnings decrease of about $52.8 million from $296.3 million today. Uncover how Encore Capital Group's forecasts yield a $104.33 fair value, a 30% upside to its current price. Two members of the Simply Wall St Community currently estimate Encore’s fair value between US$104.33 and US$120.38 per share, highlighting a spread of individual views. When...

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at specialty finance stocks, starting with Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG). Specialty finance companies provide targeted lending or financial services for specific industries or needs. They benefit from expertise in particular sectors, often reduced competition in specialized niches, and tailored underwriting that can yield higher margins. Challenges include concentration risk in specific industries, difficulty achieving scale efficiencies, and potential vulnerability during sector-specific downturns affecting their specialized markets. The 9 specialty finance stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.1%. While some specialty finance stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 1.8% since the latest earnings results. Operating in the often misunderstood world of debt collection since 1999, Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) purchases portfolios of defaulted consumer debt at deep discounts and works with individuals to recover these obligations while helping them toward financial recovery. Encore Capital Group reported revenues of $475.4 million, up 21% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 6.5%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates. “Encore delivered another quarter of strong performance in Q1 as our industry leadership and operational improvement remain on full display,” said Ashish Masih, President and Chief Executive Officer. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 3.3% since reporting and currently trades at $81.44. Is now the time to buy Encore Capital Group? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. With a proprietary "CarbonCount" metric that quantifies the environmental impact of each dollar invested, HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (NYSE:HASI) is an investment firm that finances and develops climate-positive i...

Encore Capital Group’s first quarter performance surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, driven by robust collections and operational improvements in its U.S. business. Management attributed the strong quarter to effective deployment of new technologies and stable consumer payment behavior. CEO Ashish Masih noted, “Our record collection performance helped earnings increase sharply,” highlighting that enhancements in digital capabilities and analytics elevated both collection efficiency and returns. The company also emphasized that recent portfolio vintages outperformed forecasts, supported by high-volume purchases and consistent repayment trends. Is now the time to buy ECPG? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $475.4 million vs analyst estimates of $446.3 million (21% year-on-year growth, 6.5% beat) Adjusted EPS: $3.91 vs analyst estimates of $2.78 (40.8% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $190.9 million vs analyst estimates of $173.3 million (40.1% margin, 10.1% beat) Operating Margin: 38.7%, up from 32.9% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $1.75 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. David Scharf (Citizens Capital Markets) asked whether there were any notable changes in the collection or purchasing environment compared to previous quarters. CEO Ashish Masih responded there were no significant changes, emphasizing stable supply and consistent consumer payment behavior. David Scharf (Citizens Capital Markets) inquired about regulatory considerations and the pace of AI adoption in collections. Masih explained that while Encore is piloting AI and automation, regulatory complexity in collections requires a careful approach, especially regarding voice technologies. Mark Hughes (Truist) sought clarity on supply trends and collection multiples in the U.S. Masih confirmed supply remains stable to marginally higher, and detailed that recent portfolio vintages are outperforming initial expectations. Robert Dodd (Raymond James) questioned the drivers behind outperformance in recent portfolio vintages and incorporation of AI in pricing models. Masih attributed gains to early-stage op...

Debt recovery company Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) reported revenue ahead of Wall Street’s expectations in Q1 CY2026, with sales up 21% year on year to $475.4 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $3.91 per share was 40.8% above analysts’ consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy ECPG? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $475.4 million vs analyst estimates of $446.3 million (21% year-on-year growth, 6.5% beat) Adjusted EPS: $3.91 vs analyst estimates of $2.78 (40.8% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $190.9 million vs analyst estimates of $173.3 million (40.1% margin, 10.1% beat) Operating Margin: 38.7%, up from 32.9% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $1.76 billion Encore Capital Group’s first quarter performance surpassed Wall Street’s expectations, driven by robust collections and operational improvements in its U.S. business. Management attributed the strong quarter to effective deployment of new technologies and stable consumer payment behavior. CEO Ashish Masih noted, “Our record collection performance helped earnings increase sharply,” highlighting that enhancements in digital capabilities and analytics elevated both collection efficiency and returns. The company also emphasized that recent portfolio vintages outperformed forecasts, supported by high-volume purchases and consistent repayment trends. Looking ahead, Encore’s outlook is shaped by continued investment in technology, a favorable U.S. market for debt purchasing, and operational discipline. Management expects the collections environment to remain robust, supported by high charge-off rates and strong consumer lending. Masih stated, “We are leveraging our scale and extremely effective collections operation to purchase record amounts of portfolio in the U.S. at strong returns.” The company aims to maintain disciplined capital allocation, prioritizing portfolio purchases while incrementally repurchasing shares, and sees further efficiency gains from ongoing innovation, though management remains mindful of regulatory considerations surrounding AI adoption in collections. Encore’s management attributed the quarter’s outperformance to operational innovation in the U.S. and ongoing stability in consumer payment behavior, while noting a continued focus on technological advancement across its platforms. Technology-driven collections: Management credited enhanced digital...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET President and Chief Executive Officer — Ashish Masih Chief Financial Officer — Tomas Hernanz Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Ashish Masih: Thanks, Bruce, and good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us. Encore delivered another strong performance in the first quarter as our industry leadership and operational execution are on full display. Our business continues to thrive with solid first-quarter portfolio purchases of $363 million. And record collections of $718 million, which were up 19% compared to a year ago. Average receivable portfolios increased 14% to $4.4 billion. Our record collection performance helped earnings increase sharply, with net income in the first quarter of $86 million and earnings per share of $3.86. Our leverage improved to 2.3x at the end of Q1 compared to 2.6x a year ago, even with continued significant portfolio purchases in the first quarter. Encore's strong operating and financial results are primarily driven by the exceptional performance of our MCM business in the U.S. across all dimensions of purchasing, collections, and efficiency. I will provide more details on MCM's results later in the presentation. Before I continue, I believe it's helpful to remind investors of the critical role we play in the consumer credit ecosystem by assisting in the resolution of unpaid debts. These unpaid debts are an expected outcome of the lending business model. Our mission is to create pathways to economic freedom for the consumers we serve by helping them resolve their past due debts. We achieved this by engaging consumers in honest, empathetic, and respectful conversations. We pursue our business objectives through our 3-pillar strategy of participating in the largest and most valuable markets, developing and sustaining a competitive advantage in these markets, and maintaining a strong balance sheet. We employ our strategy across our 2 main businesses: Midland Credit Management, or MCM, in the U.S., and Cabot Credit Management in select European markets. We believe value is created in the consumer debt buying industry through optimal execution of 3 critical drivers: buying, collecting, and funding. When these drivers are executed well within attractive markets, leveraging the resources we possess and our strong balance sheet, we believe they...

Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Record collections of $718 million, up 19%, were driven by strong U.S. purchasing and operational innovations that enhanced digital engagement and consumer reach. The U.S. market remains highly favorable due to revolving credit near record levels and credit card charge-off rates reaching their highest point in over 10 years. Management attributes significant overperformance in recent vintages to new technologies and digital capabilities that have a disproportionate impact on early-stage portfolio life cycles. Consumer payment behavior remains stable and resilient despite macroeconomic pressures like rising gas prices, aligning with broader banking sector trends. In Europe, the company is maintaining a selective purchasing strategy as the U.K. market faces subdued lending, low delinquencies, and robust competition. The 'value engine' strategy—integrating disciplined buying, efficient collecting, and low-cost funding—is credited with driving a 14.6% return on invested capital. Management raised 2026 EPS guidance to $13 per share, a 19% increase, reflecting sustained earnings power from productivity enhancements. Global collections guidance was increased to $2.8 billion for 2026, assuming continued stability in consumer behavior and successful deployment of operational initiatives. The company expects collection forecasts to gradually adjust upward as early-stage overperformance in recent vintages transitions into portfolio revenue. Portfolio purchasing is projected to remain robust at $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion for the year, prioritized as the primary driver of long-term shareholder value. Cash efficiency margins are expected to exceed 58% for the full year, supported by significant operating leverage and cost management. Leverage improved to 2.3x, down from 2.6x a year ago, providing increased financial flexibility and access to competitive funding costs. The company extended its securitization facility maturity to 2031, ensuring no material debt maturities until 2028. Share repurchases totaled $20 million in Q1, utilized as a secondary capital allocation priority given the company's position in the lower half of its target leverage range. Management is cautiously piloting AI technologies, noting that while...

Strong Q1 driven by U.S. operations: Encore reported record collections of $718M (up 19%) and global portfolio purchases of $363M, with Midland Credit Management accounting for 87% of purchases and posting $556M in collections (up 23%). Robust financials and updated guidance: Total revenue rose 21% to $475M, net income jumped 84% to $86M (EPS $3.86), and management raised 2026 guidance — collections now expected to be $2.8B (+8%) with EPS of $13 and portfolio purchases of $1.4–$1.5B; leverage improved to 2.3x and share repurchases remain a secondary priority after U.S. buying. Operational improvements boosting recoveries: New technology and digital capabilities increased payer generation and early-vintage performance, producing $46M of collections above forecast and prompting management to expect gradual upward adjustments to collection forecasts over time. Interested in Encore Capital Group Inc? Here are five stocks we like better. 3 Stocks You’ll Love to Own, But Hate To Encounter Encore Capital Group (NASDAQ:ECPG) reported what executives described as a “strong performance” in the first quarter of 2026, driven by record collections, higher earnings, and continued portfolio buying activity that remained concentrated in the U.S. President and CEO Ashish Masih said the quarter reflected “industry leadership and operational execution,” citing global portfolio purchases of $363 million and record collections of $718 million, up 19% from the prior-year period. Average receivable portfolios rose 14% to $4.4 billion, while leverage improved to 2.3x at quarter end from 2.6x a year earlier, even as the company continued significant portfolio purchases. → The Real SpaceX Play: 5 Chip Stocks Powering the IPO Before It Launches Masih said the company’s performance was “primarily driven by the exceptional performance of our MCM business in the U.S. across all dimensions of purchasing, collections, and efficiency.” Of total first-quarter portfolio purchases, 87% of dollars were deployed in the U.S., reflecting what Masih called attractive market conditions and higher returns relative to other regions. In the U.S. market, Masih pointed to Federal Reserve data showing revolving credit near record levels and credit card charge-off rates that rose to their highest level in more than 10 years in 2024 and “still remains at an elevated level.” Using Q4 2025 data, he estimated...

Favorable purchasing conditions continue in U.S. market Global portfolio purchases of $363 million, including $316 million in U.S. Global collections up 19% to record $718 million Earnings per share of $3.86 SAN DIEGO, May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECPG), an international specialty finance company, today reported consolidated financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. “Encore delivered another quarter of strong performance in Q1 as our industry leadership and operational improvement remain on full display,” said Ashish Masih, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our business continues to thrive with solid first quarter portfolio purchases of $363 million and record collections of $718 million, which were up 19% compared to a year ago. This collections performance helped earnings increase sharply, with first quarter earnings per share of $3.86 up 100% compared to $1.93 per share a year ago.” “Our MCM business in the U.S. continues to deliver very strong results. Capitalizing on the ongoing attractive market opportunity in the U.S. driven by ample portfolio supply, MCM portfolio purchases in the first quarter were $316 million, one of our strongest portfolio purchasing quarters ever. MCM also delivered record collections of $556 million in the first quarter, up 23% compared to Q1 a year ago. This exceptional collections performance is the result of strong execution and continued significant portfolio purchasing as well as the deployment of new technologies, enhanced digital capabilities and continued operational innovation.” “Our Cabot business in Europe delivered a solid first quarter. Portfolio purchases of $47 million were consistent with Cabot’s recent historical trend while collections of $161 million were up 7% compared to the first quarter last year.” “As a result of our strong start to the year, we are raising our global collections guidance and now expect our full-year 2026 collections to be approximately $2.8 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth of 8%. Additionally, we are raising our earnings guidance and now expect our earnings per share in 2026 to increase 19% to $13.00. Our guidance for portfolio purchasing remains unchanged from our view in February as we continue to anticipate our global portfolio purchases this year to be within a range from $1.4 billion to $1.5 billion. As alwa...

SAN DIEGO (AP) — SAN DIEGO (AP) — Encore Capital Group Inc. (ECPG) on Wednesday reported net income of $86.2 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the San Diego-based company said it had net income of $3.86. The provider of debt-management and recovery services posted revenue of $475.4 million in the period. _____ This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ECPG at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ECPG