EZCORP, Inc. $EZPW Shares Bought by Boston Partners

Key Points

• Boston Partners increased its holdings in EZCORP, Inc. by 289.7% during the first quarter, bringing its total ownership to approximately 2.85% of the company, valued at $23.5 million.
• EZCORP reported quarterly earnings of $0.33 per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.23, and achieved a revenue of $310.98 million against a forecast of $302.25 million.
• Several research firms have recently upgraded their ratings on EZCORP, with a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $18.50.

Boston Partners grew its stake in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) by 289.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,569,488 shares of the credit services provider's stock after buying an additional 1,166,758 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned 2.85% of EZCORP worth $23,499,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in EZCORP by 60.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 5,062 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 1,906 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new position in EZCORP during the first quarter worth $91,000. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC purchased a new position in EZCORP during the fourth quarter worth $138,000. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new position in EZCORP during the first quarter worth $149,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new position in EZCORP during the first quarter worth $161,000. Institutional investors own 99.83% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.26, for a total transaction of $132,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 149,483 shares in the company, valued at $1,982,144.58. This represents a 6.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

EZCORP Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of EZPW traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $15.49. 136,649 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 995,129. The firm has a market cap of $943.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.10 and a beta of 0.56. EZCORP, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.56 and a 12-month high of $16.60. The company has a current ratio of 6.31, a quick ratio of 5.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $14.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.23.

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 company had revenue of $310.98 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $302.25 million. Sell-side analysts forecast that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $17.00 price objective on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Friday, August 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, EZCORP currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $18.50.

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.