EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Given New $27.00 Price Target at Canaccord Genuity Group

Key Points

• Canaccord Genuity Group has increased its price target for EZCORP from $25.00 to $27.00, indicating a potential upside of 48.51% from the current price.
• EZCORP recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.33 EPS, exceeding analysts' estimates, with revenue of $310.98 million for the quarter, surpassing expectations as well.
• Institutional investors heavily influence the stock, owning 99.83% of the company's shares, with significant recent acquisitions and increases in holdings from multiple hedge funds.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by Canaccord Genuity Group from $25.00 to $27.00 in a report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the credit services provider's stock. Canaccord Genuity Group's price target points to a potential upside of 48.51% from the company's current price.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of EZCORP in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $19.00.

EZCORP Stock Up 0.3%

EZPW stock opened at $18.18 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 14.20 and a beta of 0.62. EZCORP has a 12 month low of $11.02 and a 12 month high of $19.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 6.31 and a quick ratio of 5.00. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.11.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.33 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $310.98 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $302.25 million. EZCORP had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 7.96%. Equities research analysts forecast that EZCORP will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at EZCORP

In other news, Director Matthew W. Appel sold 9,038 shares of EZCORP stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.02, for a total transaction of $162,864.76. Following the sale, the director directly owned 133,371 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,403,345.42. The trade was a 6.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.13% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EZPW. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in EZCORP by 6.7% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 60,614 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $901,000 after acquiring an additional 3,792 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 1st quarter worth about $382,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in EZCORP by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 92,641 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in EZCORP by 680.7% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 148,480 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $2,186,000 after buying an additional 129,460 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in EZCORP during the first quarter worth about $902,000. Institutional investors own 99.83% of the company's stock.

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.

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