Natixis Advisors LLC Buys Shares of 19,599 EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC acquired 19,599 shares of EZCORP, Inc. valued at approximately $288,000, indicating a new institutional investment in the company.
• EZCORP shares opened at $15.82, showing a strong market presence with a market capitalization of $963.44 million and a 12.36 price-to-earnings ratio.
• Insider selling was reported, with COO John Blair Jr. Powell divesting 3,500 shares at an average price of $13.81, which reflects a 2.34% decrease in his ownership of the stock.

Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new stake in EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 19,599 shares of the credit services provider's stock, valued at approximately $288,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in EZCORP by 60.4% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,062 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 1,906 shares during the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in EZCORP during the 4th quarter valued at $138,000. Carnegie Investment Counsel bought a new position in EZCORP during the 1st quarter valued at $205,000. Teza Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in EZCORP by 6.6% during the 4th quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC now owns 14,425 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 896 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in EZCORP by 39.3% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 14,430 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 4,070 shares during the last quarter. 99.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EZCORP Stock Performance

Shares of EZCORP stock traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $16.07. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,023,404 shares, compared to its average volume of 759,033. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 5.00 and a current ratio of 6.31. EZCORP, Inc. has a one year low of $10.56 and a one year high of $16.60. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $14.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $14.17. The stock has a market cap of $978.60 million, a P/E ratio of 12.55 and a beta of 0.56.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at EZCORP

In related news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.81, for a total value of $48,335.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 145,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,016,025.23. This trade represents a 2.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on EZPW shares. Stephens reiterated an "equal weight" rating and set a $17.00 price objective on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 14th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, EZCORP currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $18.50.

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.