New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Purchases 42,446 Shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

Key Points

• New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its stake in EZCORP, Inc. by 61.1% during the first quarter, now owning approximately $1.65 million in the company's stock.
• Insider selling occurred recently, with COO John Blair Jr. Powell selling 20,000 shares valued at approximately $283,400, representing a 10.56% decrease in his ownership.
• Analysts have varied ratings for EZCORP, with a consensus target price of $18.50 and a mix of "buy," "hold," and "strong-buy" ratings from six analysts.

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) by 61.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 111,926 shares of the credit services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 42,446 shares during the quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC owned 0.20% of EZCORP worth $1,648,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the first quarter worth $382,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in shares of EZCORP by 6.3% during the fourth 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 worth $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the first quarter worth $902,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its holdings in shares of EZCORP by 680.7% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 148,480 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,186,000 after purchasing an additional 129,460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of EZCORP by 39.3% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 14,430 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $176,000 after purchasing an additional 4,070 shares during the last quarter. 99.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

EZCORP Stock Performance

EZCORP stock remained flat at $15.28 during midday trading on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 589,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 762,236. The company's fifty day moving average is $13.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.06. EZCORP, Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.56 and a 1-year high of $16.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $930.49 million, a PE ratio of 11.94 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a quick ratio of 5.00, a current ratio of 6.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $310.98 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $302.25 million. EZCORP had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 7.96%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on EZPW. Stephens reiterated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 14th. BTIG Research began coverage on EZCORP in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a report on Friday, August 1st. 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $18.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at EZCORP

In related news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.17, for a total transaction of $283,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 169,483 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,401,574.11. The trade was a 10.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 43,500 shares of company stock worth $601,635. 2.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

EZCORP 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.