ESNTESNTFinancial Services · Insurance - Specialty

ESNT Stock Forecast: Essent Group Ltd. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 18 Sept 2026
$67
−0.46% on the day

The 7 Wall Street analysts covering Essent Group Ltd. hold a median 12-month price target of $75 — +11.6% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 81 of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$6.0B
Ticker Nerd rank
81 / 100
Median analyst target
$75
Analysts covering
7
Revenue$362.7M+11.2% y/y
Net income$189.7M
Free cash flow$196.1M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−1.5%
1M
−2.9%
YTD
+5.1%
1Y
+4.4%
From 52W high
−3.5%
From 52W low
+20.9%
$56
$70
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

ESNT stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Essent Group Ltd. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 19 Sept 2026
81 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Revisions
92
Issuance
84
Value
73
Momentum
69
Volatility
68
Quality
66
Growth
60
Accruals
28
Size
20

Revisions (92): Analysts have, on balance, been raising their forecasts.

Accruals (28): A large share of reported profit has not shown up as cash, or the balance sheet is expanding quickly — both tend to unwind.

Size (20): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

ESNT stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on ESNT, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$55$60$65$70$75$80Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26ESNTHigh $80Median $75Low $65

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says7 analysts
3 Buy4 Hold0 Sell
Low $65Median $75High $80

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +11.6% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 5 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
10 Aug 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight$62$65
10 Aug 2026Keefe, Bruyette & WoodsMaintainsOutperform$74$78
10 Aug 2026RBC CapitalMaintainsSector Perform$68$75
10 Aug 2026Roth CapitalMaintainsBuy$65$80
13 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral
13 July 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral$65$72
25 June 2026Keefe, Bruyette & WoodsMaintainsOutperform
4 June 2026Keefe, Bruyette & WoodsUpgradeOutperform
22 May 2026RBC CapitalInitiatesSector Perform
11 May 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight
9 Apr 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral
6 Apr 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight
12 Mar 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral
17 Feb 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight
12 Jan 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral
6 Jan 2026BarclaysMaintainsEqual-Weight
2 Jan 2026Roth CapitalMaintainsBuy
18 Dec 2025Keefe, Bruyette & WoodsMaintainsMarket Perform
24 Nov 2025Keefe, Bruyette & WoodsMaintainsMarket Perform
7 Oct 2025JP MorganDowngradeNeutral

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. ESNT appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

ESNT vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 18 Sept 2026, Essent Group Ltd. returned +4.4% against +16.3% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

ESNT vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
859095100105110115120Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26ESNTS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

ESNT analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+4.1%
Analysts raising
6
Analysts cutting
0
Fundamentals

Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
9.4×

Cheaper than 60% of US stocks

Price / sales
4.6×

Cheaper than 27% of US stocks

Price / book
1.1×

Cheaper than 71% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
6.8×

Cheaper than 49% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
13.6%

Higher than 60% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
−2.9%

Higher than 33% of US stocks

Gross margin
Operating margin
65.8%

Higher than 99% of US stocks

Net margin
51.5%

Higher than 96% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
12.0%

Higher than 68% of US stocks

Return on assets
7.2%

Higher than 86% of US stocks

Dividend yield
2.1%

Higher than 45% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Essent Group Ltd. (ESNT) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Essent Group Ltd. has a market value of $6.0B and an enterprise value of $5.8B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $1.3B. The latest quarter grew 13.6% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $680.7M, a 50.9% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $7.17.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $825.9M.

  • Essent Group Ltd. spent $611.0M on share buybacks and $123.7M on dividends in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 89.9M.

  • Trailing P/E: 9.4×; forward P/E: 8.6× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 2.08%, paying out 18% of earnings.

  • Essent Group Ltd. employs 518 people $2.6M of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 19 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

ESNT vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelInsurance - Specialty
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
ESNTEssent Group Ltd.$6.0B
81
MTGMGIC Investment Corp.$6.3B
84
ACTEnact Holdings, Inc.$6.8B
78
FAFFirst American Financial Corp.$7.1B
79
AXSAXIS Capital Holdings Ltd.$7.3B
68
RDNRadian Group Inc.$4.7B
56
FNFFidelity National Financial, Inc.$11.4B
23

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Essent Group Ltd. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest ESNT news & analysis

ESNT or CINF: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

Zacks Investment Research · 10 Sept 2026neutral

Zacks Investment Research published a piece comparing Essent Group (ESNT) and Cincinnati Financial (CINF) as value-stock candidates in the property and casualty insurance sector. The article frames the two companies as options for investors seeking undervalued stocks but does not reach a definitive conclusion in the excerpt provided.

Why it matters — ESNT watchers would care because the article signals that the company is being evaluated by analysts as a potential value opportunity within the property and casualty insurance space.

Essent Group (ESNT) Could Be a Great Choice

Zacks Investment Research · 4 Sept 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research published a piece highlighting Essent Group (ESNT) as a potentially attractive dividend stock. The article asks whether the company has what it takes to be a strong dividend pick for shareholders.

Why it matters — ESNT watchers would care because the piece draws favourable attention to the company's dividend-paying potential, which is a key factor for income-focused investors.

ESNT vs. CINF: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?

Zacks Investment Research · 20 Aug 2026neutral

Zacks Investment Research published a comparison of Essent Group (ESNT) and Cincinnati Financial (CINF), both in the Insurance - Property and Casualty sector, examining which stock currently offers the better value opportunity.

Why it matters — The article provides a value-oriented comparison that could inform how investors assess ESNT relative to a peer in its sector.

Essent Group (ESNT) Upgraded to Buy: What Does It Mean for the Stock?

Zacks Investment Research · 19 Aug 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research upgraded Essent Group (ESNT) to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), citing growing optimism about the company's earnings prospects.

Why it matters — A Zacks upgrade to a Buy rank signals increased analyst confidence in Essent Group's earnings outlook, which is a development ESNT watchers would track.

Essent Group (ESNT) Could Be a Great Choice

Zacks Investment Research · 19 Aug 2026positive

Zacks Investment Research published an article examining whether Essent Group (ESNT) could be a great dividend stock choice for shareholders, given the benefits dividends offer. The piece poses the question of whether ESNT has what it takes as a dividend investment.

Why it matters — ESNT watchers would care because the article evaluates the company's attractiveness as a dividend stock, which is relevant to shareholder income considerations.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about ESNT stock

What is the ESNT stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 7 Wall Street analysts covering Essent Group Ltd. have a median 12-month price target of $75, with estimates ranging from $65 to $80. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is ESNT stock a buy right now?

Of the 7 analysts covering Essent Group Ltd., 3 rate it a Buy, 4 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Essent Group Ltd. 81 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 19 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank ESNT?

As at 19 Sept 2026, Essent Group Ltd. ranks 81 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Revisions (92 of 100).

Will ESNT stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 7 analysts implies +11.6% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Essent Group Ltd. 81 out of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the ESNT stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Essent Group Ltd. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for ESNT are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $65 to $80 over the next 12 months.

How has ESNT stock performed over the past year?

Essent Group Ltd. returned +4.4% over the 12 months to 18 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Essent Group Ltd. do?

Essent Group Ltd. is a Bermuda-based financial services holding company focused on the U.S.

What is the latest news on ESNT?

The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 10 Sept 2026): "ESNT or CINF: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?". Zacks Investment Research published a piece comparing Essent Group (ESNT) and Cincinnati Financial (CINF) as value-stock candidates in the property and casualty insurance sector. The article frames the two companies as options for investors seeking undervalued stocks but does not reach a definitive conclusion in the excerpt provided.

Company

About Essent Group Ltd.

Essent Group Ltd. is a Bermuda-based financial services holding company focused on the U.S. housing finance market. Through its subsidiaries, Essent provides private mortgage insurance, reinsurance, and title insurance and settlement services that support mortgage lenders, borrowers, and investors. Its core offerings help manage mortgage credit risk on residential loans, particularly in conventional lending, by providing lenders with protection against losses and related expenses. The company also offers mortgage-related advisory and underwriting services, along with reinsurance solutions that help distribute risk within the mortgage ecosystem. Essent Group Ltd. serves a central role in facilitating home financing by supporting lender confidence and expanding access to mortgage credit.

CEO Mr. Mark Anthony Casale · 518 employees · Bermuda · https://ir.essentgroup.com