EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Sets New 52-Week High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• The stock for EZCORP reached a new 52-week high, trading at $18.21, with a volume of 324,867 shares during mid-day trading.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for EZCORP, with a price target averaging $18.50 and some firms projecting a target as high as $25.00.
• Institutional investors have significantly increased their stakes in EZCORP, with Boston Partners boosting its ownership by 289.7% in the first quarter.

EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $18.13 and last traded at $18.21, with a volume of 324867 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.72.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on EZPW. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $18.50.

EZCORP Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.09 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 5.00 and a current ratio of 6.31. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.77.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.10. EZCORP had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 7.96%.The business had revenue of $310.98 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $302.25 million. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at EZCORP

In related news, Director Matthew W. Appel sold 9,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.03, for a total value of $153,270.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 142,409 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,425,225.27. This represents a 5.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EZPW. Boston Partners lifted its stake in EZCORP by 289.7% in the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,569,488 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $23,499,000 after buying an additional 1,166,758 shares during the last quarter. Fourth Sail Capital LP lifted its stake in EZCORP by 503.6% in the first quarter. Fourth Sail Capital LP now owns 957,262 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $14,091,000 after buying an additional 798,679 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in EZCORP during the first quarter worth $8,310,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in EZCORP during the second quarter worth $7,104,000. Finally, Invenomic Capital Management LP grew its holdings in EZCORP by 55.7% during the first quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP now owns 1,229,705 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $18,101,000 after acquiring an additional 439,937 shares during the period. 99.83% of the stock is 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.