ACT vs ESNT: Enact and Essent Group compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Enact is the larger company, worth $6.5B, close to Essent Group's $5.9B.
- Essent Group grew revenue faster over the last year (+13.6% vs +4.1%).
- Enact keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (69.1% vs 62.0%).
- On earnings, Essent Group is the cheaper stock (9.2x vs 10.0x).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | ACT | ESNT |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $6.5B | $5.9B |
| Share price | $45.97 | $62.49 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $1.2B | $1.3B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | — | $849M |
| Revenue growth, last year | +4.1% | +13.6% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +2.5% | +5.2% |
| Operating margin | 69.1% | 62.0% |
| Net margin | 54.5% | 51.5% |
| Return on equity | 12.7% | 12.0% |
| P/E (trailing) | 10.0x | 9.18x |
| Price / free cash flow | 8.93x | 7.01x |
| EV / EBITDA | — | 7.36x |
| FCF growth the price implies | — | -9.1% |
| Dividend yield | 1.8% | 2.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.29x | 0.34x |
| Fundamental grade | B | B |
| Superinvestors holding it | 2 | 2 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 0 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Enact
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1.1B | — | 62.2% |
| 2022 | $1.1B | — | 82.0% |
| 2023 | $1.2B | — | 73.8% |
| 2024 | $1.2B | — | 73.1% |
| 2025 | $1.2B | — | 69.5% |
Essent Group
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1.0B | $707M | 80.0% |
| 2022 | $1.0B | $585M | 98.7% |
| 2023 | $1.1B | $759M | 74.2% |
| 2024 | $1.2B | $855M | 68.8% |
| 2025 | $1.3B | $849M | 65.2% |
Where the revenue comes from
Enact
No segment breakdown reported.
Essent Group · by segments, 2025
Mortgage Insurance$1.1B92%
Reinsurance$90M8%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open ACT in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Enact or Essent Group?
Enact (ACT), at $6.5B against $5.9B.
Is ACT or ESNT cheaper?
By trailing P/E, Essent Group (9.18x) is cheaper than Enact (10.0x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, ACT or ESNT?
Essent Group: revenue grew +13.6% over the last year, against +4.1%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.