EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Stock Price Up 10.7% - Here's Why

Key Points

• EZCORP shares rose 10.7% to $31.83 in mid-day trading, reaching a high of $32.07, amid lower-than-average trading volume.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive: six analysts rate the stock a Buy and two rate it a Hold, producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $38.80.
• EZCORP exceeded quarterly EPS expectations, reporting $0.47 versus the $0.41 consensus estimate, although revenue of $408.4 million fell short of the expected $425.83 million.

EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) traded up 10.7% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $32.07 and last traded at $31.83. 597,268 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 35% from the average session volume of 922,863 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.76.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on EZPW. Citigroup reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of EZCORP in a report on Monday, May 11th. Citizens Jmp raised their price target on EZCORP from $33.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on EZCORP from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $44.00 price objective on EZCORP in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered EZCORP from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $38.80.

EZCORP Stock Up 12.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 3.45 and a current ratio of 4.81. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.55. The stock has a market cap of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.35 and a beta of 0.66.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The credit services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $408.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $425.83 million. EZCORP had a return on equity of 13.99% and a net margin of 9.97%. Equities research analysts predict that EZCORP, Inc. will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at EZCORP

In related news, Director Pablo Lagos Espinosa sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.54, for a total value of $355,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 207,543 shares in the company, valued at $7,376,078.22. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 2.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of EZCORP during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. KBC Group NV acquired a new stake in EZCORP in the first quarter worth approximately $44,000. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in EZCORP by 533.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,667 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 2,246 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of EZCORP by 21.2% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,146 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its position in shares of EZCORP by 178.1% during the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 11,069 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $154,000 after purchasing an additional 7,089 shares during the period. 99.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

EZCORP Company Profile

EZCORP, Inc is a specialty consumer finance company that provides pawn loans and retail merchandise programs primarily through its EZPAWN and Cash Converters brands. The company offers collateral-based loans secured principally by jewelry, electronics, musical instruments and other personal items, alongside check-cashing, money-transfer and bill-payment services. In addition to its pawn lending operations, EZCORP acquires previously pawned or consumer merchandise for resale through its “Sell-It-Now” platform and retail storefronts.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, EZCORP operates in two principal geographic markets: the United States and Mexico.

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