Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) Shares Acquired by Petrus Trust Company LTA

Petrus Trust Company LTA boosted its stake in Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 10,294 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 1,245 shares during the period. Petrus Trust Company LTA’s holdings in Essent Group were worth $662,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Essent Group by 726.8% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 463 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 407 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Essent Group in the third quarter worth $32,000. Quarry LP increased its position in Essent Group by 167.1% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 836 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 523 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Essent Group in the second quarter worth $47,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Essent Group by 49.7% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,187 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the period. 93.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Essent Group Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of ESNT stock opened at $56.29 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $59.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $59.54. Essent Group Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $48.08 and a fifty-two week high of $65.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.09.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The financial services provider reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.08). Essent Group had a net margin of 60.15% and a return on equity of 13.81%. The firm had revenue of $3.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $316.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.66 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 969.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Essent Group Ltd. will post 6.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Essent Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 11th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.99%. Essent Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.23%.

Insider Activity at Essent Group

In related news, CFO David B. Weinstock sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.59, for a total value of $127,180.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 25,416 shares in the company, valued at $1,616,203.44. This trade represents a 7.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESNT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Essent Group from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Essent Group from $68.00 to $60.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Essent Group from $68.00 to $67.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Essent Group from $72.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 4th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Essent Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.00.

Essent Group Company Profile

Essent Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides private mortgage insurance and reinsurance for mortgages secured by residential properties located in the United States. Its mortgage insurance products include primary, pool, and master policy. The company also provides information technology maintenance and development services; customer support-related services; underwriting consulting; and contract underwriting services, as well as risk management products and title insurance and settlement services.