Choreo LLC Sells 1,077 Shares of Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT)

Choreo LLC lessened its stake in Essent Group Ltd. (NYSE:ESNT) by 18.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,898 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 1,077 shares during the period. Choreo LLC’s holdings in Essent Group were worth $265,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Essent Group by 132.4% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 424,542 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,294,000 after acquiring an additional 241,840 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in shares of Essent Group by 31.1% in the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 984,414 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $53,591,000 after purchasing an additional 233,636 shares during the period. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Essent Group by 154.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 208,927 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $13,431,000 after buying an additional 126,899 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Essent Group by 45.5% during the 3rd quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 345,675 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $22,223,000 after buying an additional 108,061 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Essent Group by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,021,343 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $65,662,000 after buying an additional 99,604 shares in the last quarter. 93.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Essent Group Stock Performance

NYSE:ESNT opened at $56.43 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $56.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.14. Essent Group Ltd. has a 52-week low of $51.69 and a 52-week high of $65.33.

Essent Group (NYSE:ESNT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.67 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $315.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $313.88 million. Essent Group had a net margin of 60.15% and a return on equity of 13.81%. The company’s revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Essent Group Ltd. will post 6.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ESNT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Essent Group from $67.00 to $60.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of 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 dropped their price objective on shares of Essent Group from $68.00 to $60.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Essent Group from $75.00 to $72.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Barclays cut Essent Group from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $69.00 to $58.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Essent Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $62.71.

About Essent Group

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.