EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Lowered to "Buy" Rating by Wall Street Zen

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on EZPW. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Roth Capital set a $16.00 price target on EZCORP in a report on Monday, March 17th. Roth Mkm initiated coverage on EZCORP in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $17.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price target on shares of EZCORP from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $18.25.

EZCORP Stock Performance

NASDAQ:EZPW traded up $0.05 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $13.45. 332,043 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,116,579. The firm has a market capitalization of $739.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.70 and a beta of 0.59. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $15.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.48. The company has a current ratio of 2.91, a quick ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. EZCORP has a 12 month low of $9.65 and a 12 month high of $16.60.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $306.32 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $310.35 million. EZCORP had a return on equity of 11.04% and a net margin of 7.25%. On average, equities analysts forecast that EZCORP will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in EZCORP in the first quarter valued at $1,646,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of EZCORP by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 348,482 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,130,000 after purchasing an additional 7,059 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in shares of EZCORP in the 1st quarter worth about $362,000. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 1st quarter worth about $999,000. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 1st quarter worth about $353,000. 99.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About EZCORP

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.