Until The Housing Market Improves, Essent Group Looks Like A Value Trap
Essent Group remains rated Hold despite Q1 2026 beats, as structural headwinds persist in the private mortgage insurance sector. ESNT's top-line growth has slowed, with rising losses and expenses; recent EPS gains are largely attributable to aggressive share buybacks. Market share for new insurance written continues to decline, though persistency rates remain industry-leading at 84.7%.