Essent Group (ESNT) Offers February 2026 Options
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy ESNT?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Put Contract Details: The $65.00 strike price put contract has a current bid of 5 cents, allowing an investor to potentially buy shares of ESNT at a cost basis of $64.95 after collecting the premium, which is more attractive than the current market price of $66.42.
Market Analysis: The $65.00 strike represents a 2% discount to the current stock price, with a 60% chance that the put contract may expire worthless, offering a potential return of 0.08% on the cash commitment.
Volatility Insights: The implied volatility for the put contract is 29%, while the actual trailing twelve-month volatility is calculated at 21%, indicating a difference in market expectations versus historical performance.
Further Resources: For additional options contract ideas, investors can visit StockOptionsChannel.com, where they can find more information and analysis on various options strategies.
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Analyst Views on ESNT
Wall Street analysts forecast ESNT stock price to rise
5 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 65.640
Low
65.00
Averages
69.80
High
75.00
Current: 65.640
Low
65.00
Averages
69.80
High
75.00
About ESNT
Essent Group Ltd. is a Bermuda-based holding company. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, offers private mortgage insurance and reinsurance, and title insurance and settlement services to mortgage lenders, borrowers, and investors. The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Essent Guaranty, Inc., offers mortgage insurance. Its Bermuda-based subsidiary, Essent Reinsurance Ltd., is a specialty reinsurer that reinsures the United States (US) mortgage risk and provides underwriting consulting services to third-party reinsurers. Through its subsidiary, CUW Solutions, LLC, it offers mortgage insurance and provides contract underwriting services on a limited basis. Its business segment includes Mortgage Insurance. The Mortgage Insurance segment offers private mortgage insurance and reinsurance for mortgages secured by residential properties located in the US. It also offers other credit risk management solutions, including contract underwriting, to its customers.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Essent Group Ltd. Reports Q4 2025 Earnings with Strategic Insights
- Strong Financial Performance: Essent Group reported a net income of $155 million for Q4 2025, translating to $1.60 per diluted share, which, while down from $1.67 in the previous quarter, reflects a robust annual net income of $690 million, indicating sustained profitability.
- Capital Management Strategy: As of year-end 2025, the company’s mortgage insurance in force stood at $248 billion, a 2% year-over-year increase, while book value per share rose 13% to $60.31, demonstrating the positive impact of its strategic capital management adjustments.
- Dividend Growth: The board approved a 13% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.35 per share, effective in Q1 2026, which not only underscores the company’s commitment to shareholder returns but also bolsters market confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Reinsurance Market Expansion: Essent Re plans to generate $100 million to $150 million in written premium in 2026 through a new quota share transaction with highly rated reinsurers, showcasing the company’s proactive approach to diversifying its revenue streams.
See More
Essent Group Announces Quarterly Dividend Increase
- Dividend Increase: Essent Group has declared a quarterly dividend increase from $0.31 to $0.35 per share, representing a 12.9% rise, indicating ongoing improvements in profitability and cash flow, which enhances investor confidence.
- Yield Metrics: The forward yield of 2.13% provides investors with a stable return, reflecting the company's financial robustness in the current economic environment.
- Earnings Report: The GAAP EPS of $1.60 fell short of expectations by $0.14, although revenue of $312.4 million met market forecasts, indicating some pressure on the company's profitability.
- Future Outlook: With the dividend increase and stable revenue performance, Essent Group may attract more investors seeking reliable income, further enhancing its market position and shareholder value.
See More
Essent Group Reports Q4 Net Income Decline
- Net Income Decline: Essent Group's fourth-quarter net income fell to $155 million from $167.9 million last year, indicating pressure on profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Earnings Per Share Increase: Despite the decline in net income, earnings per share slightly increased to $1.60 compared to $1.58 last year, suggesting improvements in cost control, though overall performance remains a concern.
- Total Revenue Decrease: The fourth-quarter total revenue was $312.4 million, down from $315 million in the prior year, reflecting weak market demand that could impact future revenue growth expectations.
- Dividend Declaration: Essent announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share, payable on March 23, 2026, to shareholders of record on March 13, 2026, indicating the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders despite revenue challenges.
See More
Essent Group Q4 Earnings Analysis
- Earnings Miss: Essent Group reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $1.60, missing expectations by $0.14, indicating pressure on profitability that could affect investor confidence moving forward.
- Slight Revenue Decline: The company's revenue for Q4 was $312.4 million, down 0.8% year-over-year, although in line with market expectations, this reflects a struggle for growth in a competitive environment, potentially impacting future investment decisions.
- Decline in New Insurance Written: New insurance written for Q4 2025 was $11.8 billion, down from $12.2 billion in Q3 2025 and Q4 2024, suggesting weakened market demand that may affect the company's market share.
- Stable Insurance In Force: As of December 31, 2025, insurance in force stood at $248.4 billion, slightly down from $248.8 billion as of September 30, 2025, but up from $243.6 billion year-over-year, indicating stability in maintaining the scale of its insurance business.
See More
Essent Group Reports Strong 2025 Financial Results
- Quarterly Net Income: Essent Group reported a net income of $155 million for Q4 2025, translating to $1.60 per diluted share, which, while slightly down from $167.9 million in Q4 2024, underscores the company's resilience amid economic fluctuations.
- Annual Performance Review: For the full year 2025, net income reached $690 million or $6.90 per diluted share, a decrease from $729.4 million in 2024, reflecting the impact of intensified market competition and changing economic conditions.
- Shareholder Return Strategy: The company returned nearly $700 million to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and repurchases, demonstrating strong capital management capabilities and commitment to shareholder value, while successfully repurchasing nearly 10% of its outstanding shares.
- Insurance Business Performance: New insurance written for mortgage insurance in Q4 2025 was $11.8 billion, slightly lower than $12.2 billion in Q4 2024, indicating market demand volatility and the company's adaptability in the insurance market.
See More
Essent Group to Announce Q4 Earnings on February 13
- Earnings Announcement Date: Essent Group (ESNT) is set to release its Q4 2023 earnings report on February 13 before market open, with a consensus EPS estimate of $1.74, reflecting a 10.1% year-over-year growth potential in profitability.
- Revenue Expectations: The revenue estimate for Q4 stands at $312.62 million, indicating a slight decline of 0.8% year-over-year, which highlights challenges the company faces in a competitive market that may impact short-term financial performance.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Essent Group has beaten EPS estimates 75% of the time and revenue estimates 63% of the time, demonstrating relative stability in financial forecasting and market confidence.
- Estimate Revision Dynamics: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and five downward revisions, while revenue estimates experienced no upward revisions and four downward revisions, suggesting a cautious market outlook on the company's future performance.
See More
Essent Group Ltd. Reports Q4 2025 Earnings with Strategic Insights
- Strong Financial Performance: Essent Group reported a net income of $155 million for Q4 2025, translating to $1.60 per diluted share, which, while down from $1.67 in the previous quarter, reflects a robust annual net income of $690 million, indicating sustained profitability.
- Capital Management Strategy: As of year-end 2025, the company’s mortgage insurance in force stood at $248 billion, a 2% year-over-year increase, while book value per share rose 13% to $60.31, demonstrating the positive impact of its strategic capital management adjustments.
- Dividend Growth: The board approved a 13% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.35 per share, effective in Q1 2026, which not only underscores the company’s commitment to shareholder returns but also bolsters market confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Reinsurance Market Expansion: Essent Re plans to generate $100 million to $150 million in written premium in 2026 through a new quota share transaction with highly rated reinsurers, showcasing the company’s proactive approach to diversifying its revenue streams.
See More
Essent Group Announces Quarterly Dividend Increase
- Dividend Increase: Essent Group has declared a quarterly dividend increase from $0.31 to $0.35 per share, representing a 12.9% rise, indicating ongoing improvements in profitability and cash flow, which enhances investor confidence.
- Yield Metrics: The forward yield of 2.13% provides investors with a stable return, reflecting the company's financial robustness in the current economic environment.
- Earnings Report: The GAAP EPS of $1.60 fell short of expectations by $0.14, although revenue of $312.4 million met market forecasts, indicating some pressure on the company's profitability.
- Future Outlook: With the dividend increase and stable revenue performance, Essent Group may attract more investors seeking reliable income, further enhancing its market position and shareholder value.
See More
Essent Group Reports Q4 Net Income Decline
- Net Income Decline: Essent Group's fourth-quarter net income fell to $155 million from $167.9 million last year, indicating pressure on profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Earnings Per Share Increase: Despite the decline in net income, earnings per share slightly increased to $1.60 compared to $1.58 last year, suggesting improvements in cost control, though overall performance remains a concern.
- Total Revenue Decrease: The fourth-quarter total revenue was $312.4 million, down from $315 million in the prior year, reflecting weak market demand that could impact future revenue growth expectations.
- Dividend Declaration: Essent announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share, payable on March 23, 2026, to shareholders of record on March 13, 2026, indicating the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders despite revenue challenges.
See More
Essent Group Q4 Earnings Analysis
- Earnings Miss: Essent Group reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $1.60, missing expectations by $0.14, indicating pressure on profitability that could affect investor confidence moving forward.
- Slight Revenue Decline: The company's revenue for Q4 was $312.4 million, down 0.8% year-over-year, although in line with market expectations, this reflects a struggle for growth in a competitive environment, potentially impacting future investment decisions.
- Decline in New Insurance Written: New insurance written for Q4 2025 was $11.8 billion, down from $12.2 billion in Q3 2025 and Q4 2024, suggesting weakened market demand that may affect the company's market share.
- Stable Insurance In Force: As of December 31, 2025, insurance in force stood at $248.4 billion, slightly down from $248.8 billion as of September 30, 2025, but up from $243.6 billion year-over-year, indicating stability in maintaining the scale of its insurance business.
See More
Essent Group Reports Strong 2025 Financial Results
- Quarterly Net Income: Essent Group reported a net income of $155 million for Q4 2025, translating to $1.60 per diluted share, which, while slightly down from $167.9 million in Q4 2024, underscores the company's resilience amid economic fluctuations.
- Annual Performance Review: For the full year 2025, net income reached $690 million or $6.90 per diluted share, a decrease from $729.4 million in 2024, reflecting the impact of intensified market competition and changing economic conditions.
- Shareholder Return Strategy: The company returned nearly $700 million to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and repurchases, demonstrating strong capital management capabilities and commitment to shareholder value, while successfully repurchasing nearly 10% of its outstanding shares.
- Insurance Business Performance: New insurance written for mortgage insurance in Q4 2025 was $11.8 billion, slightly lower than $12.2 billion in Q4 2024, indicating market demand volatility and the company's adaptability in the insurance market.
See More
Essent Group to Announce Q4 Earnings on February 13
- Earnings Announcement Date: Essent Group (ESNT) is set to release its Q4 2023 earnings report on February 13 before market open, with a consensus EPS estimate of $1.74, reflecting a 10.1% year-over-year growth potential in profitability.
- Revenue Expectations: The revenue estimate for Q4 stands at $312.62 million, indicating a slight decline of 0.8% year-over-year, which highlights challenges the company faces in a competitive market that may impact short-term financial performance.
- Historical Performance Review: Over the past two years, Essent Group has beaten EPS estimates 75% of the time and revenue estimates 63% of the time, demonstrating relative stability in financial forecasting and market confidence.
- Estimate Revision Dynamics: In the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and five downward revisions, while revenue estimates experienced no upward revisions and four downward revisions, suggesting a cautious market outlook on the company's future performance.
See More
