Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Esquire Financial from “sell” to “hold,” while MarketBeat’s analyst consensus remains “Buy” with a $120.33 price target.
• Esquire Financial reported quarterly EPS of $1.60, exceeding the $1.56 consensus estimate, while revenue of $42.13 million also topped expectations.
• Shares opened at $131.38, near the company’s 52-week high of $134.82; insiders own 13.90% of the stock and institutional investors hold 54.66%.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Esquire Financial from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $120.33.

Esquire Financial Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of ESQ opened at $131.38 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $118.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $112.06. The company has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 21.68 and a beta of 0.38. Esquire Financial has a 52-week low of $91.64 and a 52-week high of $134.82.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.04. Esquire Financial had a net margin of 29.30% and a return on equity of 18.59%. The firm had revenue of $42.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $41.59 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that Esquire Financial will post 6.9 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Esquire Financial

In related news, Director Robert Mitzman sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.60, for a total value of $388,800.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 139,679 shares in the company, valued at $18,102,398.40. The trade was a 2.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 13.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esquire Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Esquire Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Esquire Financial by 247.8% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 553 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Esquire Financial by 64.3% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 690 shares of the company's stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Esquire Financial by 352.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 810 shares of the company's stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 631 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in Esquire Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $93,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.66% of the company's stock.

About Esquire Financial

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc is a bank holding company whose principal subsidiary, Esquire Bank, specializes in residential mortgage lending and community banking services. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the company operates through multiple distribution channels, including retail branches, wholesale and correspondent lending divisions. Esquire Financial focuses on tailored home financing solutions while maintaining a community-oriented approach to banking.

In its mortgage lending business, Esquire Bank originates and services a range of home loan products, including government-insured mortgages (FHA, VA and USDA) as well as conventional conforming and jumbo loans.

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