Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $66.5714.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on ESNT shares. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of Essent Group in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on Essent Group in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $68.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Essent Group from $65.00 to $64.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Essent Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Essent Group from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th.

Essent Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ESNT traded down $0.22 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $64.28. 391,909 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 937,012. The stock has a market cap of $5.92 billion, a PE ratio of 9.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.76. The business’s fifty day moving average is $60.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $61.28. Essent Group has a one year low of $55.22 and a one year high of $67.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.14. Essent Group had a net margin of 53.64% and a return on equity of 12.01%. The company had revenue of $336.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $297.56 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.69 EPS. Essent Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Essent Group will post 7.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Essent Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Essent Group’s payout ratio is 19.94%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Mary Lourdes Gibbons sold 4,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.01, for a total value of $276,292.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 233,336 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,169,173.36. This trade represents a 1.79% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO David B. Weinstock sold 5,500 shares of Essent Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.51, for a total value of $349,305.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 35,494 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,254,223.94. This represents a 13.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 65,651 shares of company stock worth $4,253,294. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essent Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ESNT. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Essent Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Essent Group during the third quarter worth $27,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Essent Group during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its position in Essent Group by 97.1% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 676 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Essent Group by 790.6% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 757 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 672 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.00% of the company’s stock.

About Essent Group

Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE: ESNT) is a publicly traded insurance holding company specializing in private mortgage insurance and mortgage reinsurance solutions. Through its primary subsidiary, Essent Guaranty, the company provides credit protection to mortgage lenders, helping mitigate the risk of borrower default on residential mortgage loans. Essent’s insurance policies enable lenders to offer low-down-payment programs, supporting homebuyers in achieving homeownership with reduced upfront equity requirements.

Beyond traditional mortgage insurance, Essent offers a suite of risk management and analytics services designed to help financial institutions monitor and manage mortgage portfolios.