Fourth Sail Capital LP Acquires 798,679 Shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

Key Points

• Fourth Sail Capital LP increased its stake in EZCORP by 503.6% during the first quarter, owning a total of 957,262 shares worth approximately $14.1 million.
• Insider COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 3,500 shares of EZCORP stock, representing a 2.34% decrease in their ownership, while company insiders have sold a total of 86,000 shares worth about $1.2 million in the last ninety days.
• EZCORP reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.33 for the last quarter, surpassing expectations, and has a consensus target price of $18.50 among analysts.

Fourth Sail Capital LP grew its holdings in EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) by 503.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 957,262 shares of the credit services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 798,679 shares during the period. EZCORP accounts for 3.3% of Fourth Sail Capital LP's portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Fourth Sail Capital LP owned 1.74% of EZCORP worth $14,091,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in EZPW. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 1st quarter valued at $382,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of EZCORP by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 92,641 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 1st quarter valued at $902,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in shares of EZCORP by 680.7% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 148,480 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $2,186,000 after purchasing an additional 129,460 shares during the period. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in EZCORP by 39.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. 99.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at EZCORP

In related news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 20,000 shares of EZCORP stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.17, for a total transaction of $283,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 169,483 shares in the company, valued at $2,401,574.11. This trade represents a 10.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 43,500 shares of company stock worth $601,635. 2.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Stephens reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $17.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, EZCORP currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $18.50.

EZCORP Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:EZPW remained flat at $15.28 on Friday. 589,662 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 762,236. EZCORP, Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.56 and a 1-year high of $16.60. The company has a market cap of $930.55 million, a P/E ratio of 11.94 and a beta of 0.56. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $13.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.05. The company has a current ratio of 6.31, a quick ratio of 5.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last issued 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 net margin of 7.96% and a return on equity of 11.85%. The business had revenue of $310.98 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $302.25 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.