Ancora Advisors LLC Has $6.45 Million Stock Holdings in EZCORP, Inc. $EZPW

Key Points

• Ancora Advisors cut its EZCORP stake by 30% in the second quarter, selling 79,900 shares and retaining 186,650 shares worth approximately $6.45 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 99.83% of the company.
• EZCORP reported quarterly earnings of $0.47 per share, beating estimates by $0.06, although revenue of $408.4 million fell short of the $425.83 million consensus forecast.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with six Buy ratings and two Holds, an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus, and an average price target of $38.80 versus the reported share price of $31.80.

Ancora Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) by 30.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 186,650 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 79,900 shares during the quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC owned about 0.30% of EZCORP worth $6,452,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC bought a new position in EZCORP during the second quarter worth about $31,000. KBC Group NV bought a new stake in EZCORP in the 1st quarter valued at about $44,000. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 533.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,667 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 2,246 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew 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 worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 724 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming lifted 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 acquiring an additional 7,089 shares during the period. 99.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other EZCORP news, insider Ellen H. Bryant sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.77, for a total transaction of $1,043,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 117,786 shares in the company, valued at $4,095,419.22. This trade represents a 20.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Pablo Lagos Espinosa sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.54, for a total value of $355,400.00. Following the sale, the director owned 207,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,376,078.22. This represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 50,000 shares of company stock worth $1,718,500. Insiders own 2.13% of the company's stock.

EZCORP Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ EZPW opened at $31.80 on Wednesday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $31.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.10. The company has a quick ratio of 3.45, a current ratio of 4.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a PE ratio of 16.06 and a beta of 0.66. EZCORP, Inc. has a twelve month low of $16.31 and a twelve month high of $37.13.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The credit services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $408.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.83 million. EZCORP had a return on equity of 13.99% and a net margin of 9.97%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that EZCORP, Inc. will post 2 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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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