EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Canaccord Genuity Group Analyst Says

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) had its price target lifted by analysts at Canaccord Genuity Group from $24.00 to $25.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the credit services provider's stock. Canaccord Genuity Group's price target would suggest a potential upside of 76.18% from the company's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on EZPW. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $17.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Roth Mkm started coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Roth Capital set a $16.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EZCORP presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $18.50.

EZCORP Stock Performance

NASDAQ EZPW traded up $0.37 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $14.19. 691,164 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 782,294. The company has a market cap of $780.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.92 and a beta of 0.52. EZCORP has a 12-month low of $9.91 and a 12-month high of $16.60. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $13.71 and a 200 day moving average of $13.79. The company has a quick ratio of 3.25, a current ratio of 4.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $306.32 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $310.35 million. EZCORP had a net margin of 7.45% and a return on equity of 11.53%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that EZCORP will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at EZCORP

In other news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.81, for a total value of $48,335.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 145,983 shares in the company, valued at $2,016,025.23. This represents a 2.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 86,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,220,010 in the last quarter. 2.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of EZCORP

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of EZPW. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 60.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,062 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 1,906 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the first quarter valued at approximately $91,000. Quarry LP grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 652.4% in the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 7,637 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $112,000 after purchasing an additional 6,622 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $122,000. Finally, Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of EZCORP during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $138,000. 99.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

EZCORP Company Profile

EZCORP, Inc provides pawn services in the United States and Latin America. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Pawn, Latin America Pawn, and Other Investments. The company offers pawn loans collateralized by tangible personal property, jewelry, consumer electronics, tools, sporting goods, and musical instruments.