Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Takes Position in EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH has acquired 33,353 shares of EZCORP, Inc., valued at approximately $491,000, marking a new position as of the first quarter according to their 13F filing.
• Institutional ownership is significant, with 99.83% of EZCORP stock held by hedge funds and institutional investors, indicating strong confidence in the company.
• EZCORP reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.33 for the last quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate by $0.10, alongside a revenue of $310.98 million.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 33,353 shares of the credit services provider's stock, valued at approximately $491,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.06% of EZCORP at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC lifted its stake in EZCORP by 18.4% in the fourth quarter. Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC now owns 2,002,197 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $24,467,000 after buying an additional 310,706 shares during the period. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of EZCORP by 1,699.2% during the fourth quarter. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP now owns 1,246,445 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $15,232,000 after purchasing an additional 1,177,166 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of EZCORP by 23.9% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,195,784 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $14,612,000 after buying an additional 231,018 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in EZCORP by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,022,570 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $12,496,000 after buying an additional 12,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invenomic Capital Management LP raised its stake in EZCORP by 317.1% during the 4th quarter. Invenomic Capital Management LP now owns 789,768 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $9,651,000 after buying an additional 600,435 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.83% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on EZPW shares. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of EZCORP in a report on Friday, August 1st. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of EZCORP in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 14th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $18.50.

Insider Transactions at EZCORP

In related news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 3,500 shares of EZCORP stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.81, for a total value of $48,335.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 145,983 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,016,025.23. This trade represents a 2.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 86,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,220,010 over the last three months. Company insiders own 2.13% of the company's stock.

EZCORP Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:EZPW traded up $0.59 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $15.27. The company had a trading volume of 692,270 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,015,104. The stock has a market cap of $839.73 million, a P/E ratio of 11.92 and a beta of 0.56. The company's 50 day moving average price is $13.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.00. 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, Inc. has a 52-week low of $10.56 and a 52-week high of $16.60.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The credit services provider reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $310.98 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $302.25 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.