SAN DIEGO, Jan. 15, 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 fourth quarter 2025 on Wednesday, February 25, 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 F ...

Core Viewpoint - The Zacks Consumer Loans industry is experiencing a positive outlook due to falling interest rates and easing lending standards, which are expected to sustain and boost loan demand, thereby supporting top-line growth [1][2]. Industry Overview - The Zacks Consumer Loans industry includes companies that provide various loan products such as mortgages, credit card loans, and personal loans, generating net interest income (NII) as a primary revenue source. The industry's prospects are closely tied to the overall economic condition and consumer sentiment [3]. - Companies in this sector also engage in commercial lending, insurance, loan servicing, and asset recovery, which help diversify revenue sources and reduce dependence on economic fluctuations [3]. Key Themes Interest Rates & Loan Demand - The Federal Reserve has reduced interest rates by 175 basis points since 2024, with indications of another cut. Despite a decline in consumer confidence due to job and income concerns, loan demand is expected to remain stable or improve as rates decrease, leading to modest growth in net interest margin (NIM) and NII [4]. Lending Standards - The removal of tax liens from consumer credit reports has improved credit scores, expanding the borrower base. Easing lending standards are enabling consumer loan providers to meet the rising loan demand [5]. Asset Quality - Lower interest rates are likely to enhance borrowers' repayment capabilities, reducing the need for consumer loan providers to set aside large reserves for potential defaults. However, a slight increase in non-performing loans is anticipated, which may impact asset quality [6]. Industry Performance - The Zacks Consumer Loans industry has outperformed the Zacks S&P 500 composite and the finance sector over the past two years, with a collective stock increase of 101.7%, compared to 49.2% for the S&P 500 and 42% for the finance sector [11]. Valuation Metrics - The industry has a trailing 12-month price-to-tangible book ratio (P/TBV) of 1.42X, above the five-year median of 1.04X. This ratio indicates that the industry is trading at a significant discount compared to the broader market, where the S&P 500's P/TBV is 12.86X [14][16]. Investment Opportunities Enova International, Inc. (ENVA) - Enova is a financial technology company focused on online financial services, with a market cap of $4.01 billion. The company has seen a 63.7% increase in shares over the past year, and earnings are expected to grow by 39.5% in 2025 [19][22]. Encore Capital Group, Inc. (ECPG) - Encore Capital specializes in debt recovery and has a market cap of $1.3 billion. The company has gained 17% in share value over the past year, with earnings projected to increase by 93.5% in 2025 [24][27].

Here is a stock with buy rank and strong value characteristics for investors to consider today, Dec. 15:Encore Capital Group, Inc. (ECPG) : This specialty finance company providing debt recovery solutions carries a Zacks Rank #1, and has witnessed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increasing 18.5% over the last 60 days.Encore Capital has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 5.45, compared with 25.06 for the S&P 500. The company possesses a Value Score of A. See the full list of top ra ...

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," rather than traditional strategies of buying low and waiting for recovery [1][2] Group 1: Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investors often face challenges in determining the right entry point, as stocks can lose momentum when their valuations exceed future growth potential [2] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum, utilizing tools like the Zacks Momentum Style Score to identify such opportunities [3] Group 2: Encore Capital Group (ECPG) Analysis - Encore Capital Group (ECPG) has shown significant recent price momentum, with a four-week price change of 21.6%, indicating growing investor interest [4] - ECPG has gained 22.9% over the past 12 weeks, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [5] - The stock has a beta of 1.43, suggesting it moves 43% more than the market in either direction, indicating fast-paced momentum [5] - ECPG holds a Momentum Score of B, suggesting it is an opportune time to invest in the stock [6] - The stock has a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which typically attract more investor interest [7] - ECPG is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.73, indicating it is relatively undervalued, as investors pay only 73 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides ECPG, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting further investment opportunities [8] - The Zacks Premium Screens offer over 45 different strategies tailored to help investors find winning stock picks [9]

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Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," contrasting with traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum if future growth does not justify high valuations [1] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum, identified through the Zacks Momentum Style Score [2] Group 2: Encore Capital Group (ECPG) Analysis - Encore Capital Group (ECPG) has shown a four-week price change of 12.7%, indicating growing investor interest [3] - ECPG has gained 16.6% over the past 12 weeks, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [4] - The stock has a beta of 1.43, suggesting it moves 43% more than the market in either direction, indicating fast-paced momentum [4] - ECPG has a Momentum Score of B, suggesting it is an opportune time to invest in the stock [5] - The stock has a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which attract more investors [6] - ECPG is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.68, indicating it is reasonably valued at 68 cents for each dollar of sales [6] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides ECPG, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting further investment opportunities [7] - Investors can explore over 45 Zacks Premium Screens tailored to different investing styles to identify potential winning stocks [8]

Core Insights - Five stocks have been added to the Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) List, indicating strong potential for investment Group 1: Company Earnings Estimates - Encore Capital Group, Inc. (ECPG) has seen its earnings estimate increase by 18.5% over the last 60 days [1] - PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) has experienced a 9.6% increase in its earnings estimate over the last 60 days [2] - Everus Construction Group, Inc. (ECG) has had its earnings estimate rise by 11.6% in the past 60 days [3] - United Fire Group, Inc. (UFCS) has seen a significant increase of 29.7% in its earnings estimate over the last 60 days [3] - BioLife Solutions, Inc. (BLFS) has experienced the largest increase, with a 40% rise in its earnings estimate over the last 60 days [4]

Core Insights - Encore Capital Group's shares surged 13.1% following the release of third-quarter 2025 results that exceeded Wall Street expectations significantly [1][2] Financial Performance - The company reported revenue of $460.4 million, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 25.4%, surpassing analyst forecasts by nearly 12% [2] - Earnings per share (EPS) reached $3.17, which is 60.1% higher than the consensus estimate of $1.98 [2] - The pre-tax profit margin for the quarter was 21.7%, an increase of 10.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year, indicating improved operational efficiency [2] Market Reaction - Encore Capital Group's shares have shown volatility, with 17 moves greater than 5% in the past year, suggesting that the recent news has significantly influenced market perception [4] - The stock had previously dropped 6.2% due to negative sentiment in the financial sector, particularly after Zions Bancorp disclosed a significant loan loss [4][5] Stock Performance - Since the beginning of the year, Encore Capital Group's stock is up 3.1%, trading at $48.46 per share, close to its 52-week high of $51.25 [6] - An investment of $1,000 in Encore Capital Group's shares five years ago would now be valued at $1,546 [6]

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Core Insights - Encore Capital Group (ECPG) reported quarterly earnings of $3.17 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.92 per share, and up from $1.26 per share a year ago [1] - The earnings surprise for the quarter was +65.10%, following a previous quarter surprise of +72.92% [2] - The company achieved revenues of $460.35 million for the quarter, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.75% and increasing from $367.07 million year-over-year [3] Earnings Performance - The company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times over the last four quarters [2] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.97, with expected revenues of $416.61 million, and for the current fiscal year, the estimate is $8.31 on $1.64 billion in revenues [8] Stock Performance and Outlook - Encore Capital Group shares have declined approximately 14% year-to-date, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 15.1% [4] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [7] Industry Context - The Financial - Consumer Loans industry, to which Encore Capital Group belongs, is currently ranked in the top 38% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable outlook compared to lower-ranked industries [9]