Essent Group Reports $163.4 Million Third-Quarter Net Income
The Bermuda-based mortgage insurer also declared a $0.35 per-share quarterly dividend and reported share repurchases through October 31, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Economic Indicators
Essent Group reported net income of $163.4 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, compared with $164.2 million, or $1.67 per diluted share, a year earlier. The company also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share.
Why it matters
Essent Group's results reflect the performance of a mortgage insurer whose earnings depend on new insurance written and the size of its insured book. Mortgage insurance in force reached $250.1 billion as of September 30, 2026, while new insurance written was $12.1 billion for the quarter.
The company reported Q3 2026 mortgage new insurance written of $12.1 billion, down from $14.1 billion in Q2 2026 and roughly flat with $12.2 billion in Q3 2025. Mortgage insurance in force stood at $250.1 billion, while the filing does not explain the drivers of the quarter-over-quarter change in new business.
The players
Essent Group
Essent Group is a Bermuda-domiciled private mortgage insurance provider that offers credit enhancement for residential mortgage loans in the United States.
The details
Essent Group's third-quarter 2026 net income was $163.4 million, slightly below the $164.2 million reported for the same period in 2025. Year-to-date through October 31, 2026, the company repurchased 7.7 million common shares for $474 million, and its Board approved a $500 million share repurchase authorization in November 2026.
Timeline
September 30, 2026: Third-quarter 2026 reporting period ended.
October 31, 2026: Year-to-date share repurchase tally cutoff.
November 2026: $500 million share repurchase authorization approved.
December 1, 2026: Shareholder of record date for the quarterly dividend.
December 10, 2026: Quarterly dividend payable.
Economic Indicators
Quarterly new-insurance-written figures from U.S. mortgage insurers serve as a running gauge of residential home-lending activity. Essent's Q3 2026 volume of $12.1 billion sits below its Q2 2026 level and close to its year-earlier quarter, placing the company's latest update within that ongoing series.
Shareholders of record on December 1, 2026 are entitled to the $0.35 per-share quarterly dividend, payable December 10, 2026. The $500 million repurchase authorization and ongoing buybacks may affect share count and per-share earnings for investors holding Essent Group stock.
The takeaway
Essent Group's results show steady earnings alongside active capital return, with $474 million in share repurchases through October 31, 2026. Investors tracking mortgage insurers can use new insurance written and insurance in force as ongoing indicators of residential lending demand.
What happens next
The quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share is payable on December 10, 2026 to shareholders of record on December 1, 2026.
Further reading
For broader context on the housing and lending data that shape mortgage insurers, see Economic Indicators.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bernews.
