ECPG
Encore Capital Group, Inc.
ECPG has a slight edge over GS overall, supported by stronger modeled upside and stronger fundamentals.
GS
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
GS offers stronger valuation, but that advantage does not outweigh its weaker overall profile.
ECPG Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
ECPG's revenue and profitability are currently healthy. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like ECPG.
GS Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Strong | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
GS's revenue and profitability are currently strong. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like GS.
ECPG PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 4.4x | $68.62 | -38% |
| Fair | 6.2x | $96.38 | -12% |
| Forward | 6.8x | $110 | — |
| Current | 7.1x | $110 | — |
| Expensive | 11x | $164 | +49% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
ECPG has the edge over GS in the historical PE scenario, which offers more potential upside but is not a forecast.
GS PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 7.6x | $528 | -42% |
| Current | 13x | $914 | — |
| Forward | 13x | $914 | — |
| Fair | 14x | $940 | +2.9% |
| Expensive | 17x | $1,214 | +33% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
GS's PE is 13x, but its earnings don't support one, so it isn't a reliable read right now.
ECPG Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Strong growth | |
| Growth | |
| Strongly improving | |
| Limited | |
| Low |
Analysts expect earnings and revenue growth for ECPG, with profitability improving. However, they disagree widely on these estimates.
GS Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Strong growth | |
| Growth | |
| Strongly improving | |
| Limited | |
| Low |
Analysts expect earnings and revenue growth for GS, with profitability improving. However, they disagree widely on these estimates.
ECPG Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $16.12 | +3.6% |
| Q3 2026 | $15.56 | +$17.35 |
| Q2 2026 | $13.16 | +$16.86 |
| Q1 2026 | $12.84 | +$17.69 |
| Q4 2025 | $10.91 | +$16.74 |
| Q3 2025 | -$1.79 | +$6.00 |
| Q2 2025 | -$3.70 | +$4.56 |
| Q1 2025 | -$4.85 | +$3.67 |
| Q4 2024 | -$5.83 | +$2.89 |
ECPG has returned to profit: it earned $15.56 per share over the past year, after losing money the year before.
GS Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $72.35 | +4% |
| Q3 2026 | $69.58 | +41% |
| Q2 2026 | $64.82 | +43% |
| Q1 2026 | $54.75 | +27% |
| Q4 2025 | $51.32 | +27% |
| Q3 2025 | $49.22 | +44% |
| Q2 2025 | $45.37 | +45% |
| Q1 2025 | $43.08 | +68% |
| Q4 2024 | $40.54 | +77% |
GS's earnings per share have climbed steadily: $69.58 over the past year, up 41% from the year before, and higher year over year for 10 quarters in a row. Its recent earnings include one-off gains.
ECPG Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $544.5M | +18% |
| Q2 2026 | $491.9M | +11% |
| Q1 2026 | $475.4M | +21% |
| Q4 2025 | $473.6M | +78% |
| Q3 2025 | $460.4M | +25% |
| Q2 2025 | $442.1M | +24% |
| Q1 2025 | $392.8M | +20% |
| Q4 2024 | $265.6M | -4.2% |
ECPG has the edge over GS on sales, with stronger typical year-over-year growth.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 42% | +4.7 points |
| Q2 2026 | 38% | +3.9 points |
| Q1 2026 | 39% | +5.8 points |
| Q4 2025 | 37% | +87 points |
| Q3 2025 | 38% | +8.7 points |
| Q2 2025 | 34% | +5.4 points |
| Q1 2025 | 33% | +7.5 points |
| Q4 2024 | -51% | +28 points |
ECPG has the edge over GS on profitability, with a higher operating margin.
GS Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $18.7B | +23% |
| Q2 2026 | $20.3B | +39% |
| Q1 2026 | $17.2B | +14% |
| Q4 2025 | $13.5B | -3% |
| Q3 2025 | $15.2B | +20% |
| Q2 2025 | $14.6B | +15% |
| Q1 2025 | $15.1B | +6% |
| Q4 2024 | $13.9B | +23% |
GS's revenue is growing: $18.7B last quarter, up 23% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 37% | +2 points |
| Q2 2026 | 42% | +8.1 points |
| Q1 2026 | 38% | +0.2 points |
| Q4 2025 | 44% | +5.6 points |
| Q3 2025 | 36% | +4.1 points |
| Q2 2025 | 34% | +3.2 points |
| Q1 2025 | 37% | +0.6 points |
| Q4 2024 | 38% | +18 points |
GS's operating margin was 37% last quarter, up 2 points from the same quarter a year ago.
ECPG Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $101.9M | +35% |
| Q2 2026 | -$37.8M | -1283% |
| Q1 2026 | $77.5M | +102% |
| Q4 2025 | $9.9M | -34% |
| Q3 2025 | $75.6M | +90% |
| Q2 2025 | $3.2M | -89% |
| Q1 2025 | $38.3M | -13% |
| Q4 2024 | $15M | -48% |
ECPG has the edge over GS on cash generation, producing positive trailing cash flow while its opponent burns cash.
GS Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $3.7B | +72% |
| Q2 2026 | $5.6B | +7.8% |
| Q1 2026 | -$32.4B | +$5.3B |
| Q4 2025 | -$16.8B | -136% |
| Q3 2025 | $2.1B | +$40.6B |
| Q2 2025 | $5.2B | -6.8% |
| Q1 2025 | -$37.7B | -$9.2B |
| Q4 2024 | $46.2B | +$75.1B |
GS's free cash flow was −$40B over the past year, against $15.8B the year before. Free cash flow isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like GS.
ECPG Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -2.4% | -536K shares |
| 1 year | -5.4% | -1.3M shares |
| 3 years | -8.7% | -2.1M shares |
| 5 years | -29% | -9.2M shares |
| Available history | -29% | -9.2M shares |
ECPG has the edge over GS on shareholder dilution, with a more favorable share count trend.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q1 2023 | $25.6M |
| Q4 2022 | $10.4M |
| Q3 2022 | $25.9M |
| Q2 2022 | $25.1M |
| Q1 2022 | $25.7M |
| Q4 2021 | $302.5M |
| Q3 2021 | $40.7M |
| Q2 2021 | $27M |
GS Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -1.2% | -3.8M shares |
| 1 year | -4.4% | -13.9M shares |
| 3 years | -12% | -42.8M shares |
| 5 years | -15% | -52.8M shares |
| Available history | -20% | -74.4M shares |
GS has 301M diluted shares, down 4.4% from a year ago, with $15B in buybacks over the past year.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $3B |
| Q2 2026 | $4B |
| Q1 2026 | $5B |
| Q4 2025 | $3B |
| Q3 2025 | $2B |
| Q2 2025 | $3B |
| Q1 2025 | $4.4B |
| Q4 2024 | $2B |
GS spent $15B buying back its own shares over the past year, up 32% from the year before.
ECPG Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -0.2x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2026 | -0.3x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2026 | -0.3x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2025 | 5.9x | High |
| Q3 2025 | -0.5x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2025 | -0.6x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2025 | -0.8x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2024 | 18.5x | High |
ECPG has more cash than debt. Net leverage isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like ECPG.
GS Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -5.4x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2026 | -6.1x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2026 | -6.7x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2025 | -6.4x | Net Cash |
| Q3 2025 | -3.5x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2025 | -3.1x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2025 | -3.9x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2024 | -4.7x | Net Cash |
GS has the edge over ECPG on leverage, with a lower net debt burden relative to earnings.
ECPG Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 68.4 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 58.7 | Neutral |
ECPG's weekly RSI is 68 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 59 (neutral).
GS Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 44.5 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 16.3 | Oversold |
GS's weekly RSI is 45 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 16 (oversold).
ECPG PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | ECPG | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 7.1x | 13x | 46% below |
| PE % | 67 | 63 | 4 pts above |
ECPG has the edge over GS on valuation relative to its sector.
GS PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | GS | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 13x | 13x | 0.8% above |
| PE % | 46 | 63 | 17 pts below |
GS is trading at 13x earnings, in line with the Financial Services sector's median of 13x, though its earnings don't support one.
ECPG Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $102.2 | 7.5% above |
| 20 week MA | $98.8 | 11% above |
| 50 week MA | $80.9 | 36% above |
| 100 week MA | $61.2 | 79% above |
| 200 week MA | $54.5 | 101% above |
ECPG has the edge over GS on trend strength, trading above more of its moving averages.
GS Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $895.5 | 2% above |
| 20 week MA | $977.4 | 6.5% below |
| 50 week MA | $945.4 | 3.4% below |
| 100 week MA | $804.5 | 14% above |
| 200 week MA | $602.7 | 52% above |
GS's trend is mixed: it's above three of its five weekly moving averages, and 52% above its 200-week average.
ECPG Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $36.0 | $37.8 | +5.1% |
| 2021 | $37.8 | $60.2 | +59% |
| 2022 | $60.2 | $47.2 | -22% |
| 2023 | $47.2 | $50.8 | +7.6% |
| 2024 | $50.8 | $47.5 | -6.4% |
| 2025 | $47.5 | $55.5 | +17% |
| 2026 YTD | $55.5 | $109.9 | +98% |
ECPG has the edge over GS on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.
GS Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $230.7 | $256.2 | +11% |
| 2021 | $256.2 | $385.0 | +50% |
| 2022 | $385.0 | $345.5 | -10% |
| 2023 | $345.5 | $385.8 | +12% |
| 2024 | $385.8 | $576.2 | +49% |
| 2025 | $576.2 | $907.0 | +57% |
| 2026 YTD | $907.0 | $913.6 | +0.7% |
GS has finished higher in five of the last six years, two of them by more than 50%. It's up 0.7% so far in 2026.