FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) Director Paula Garrett Sells 1,500 Shares

Key Points

• Director Paula Garrett sold 1,500 FirstCash shares on May 1 at an average price of $217.40 for a $326,100 transaction, trimming her holding by 18.6% to 6,564 shares (about $1.43M).
• Quarterly results beat expectations: FirstCash reported $2.69 EPS vs. $2.30 expected and $1.05B revenue (up 25.7% YoY), supporting a $9.64B market cap and a PE of 27.55.
• Dividend and analyst backdrop: the company declared a $0.42 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.68, yield 0.8%, ex-dividend May 15), shares traded near $219.88, and analysts hold a consensus "Buy" amid several raised price targets ($235–$252).

FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS - Get Free Report) Director Paula Garrett sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.40, for a total transaction of $326,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 6,564 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,427,013.60. This trade represents a 18.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

FirstCash Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of FirstCash stock traded up $1.66 on Friday, reaching $219.88. The company had a trading volume of 395,776 shares, compared to its average volume of 318,443. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $197.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $175.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 3.42 and a current ratio of 4.77. FirstCash Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $119.21 and a 52-week high of $227.26. The firm has a market cap of $9.64 billion, a PE ratio of 27.55 and a beta of 0.47.

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.39. FirstCash had a net margin of 9.15% and a return on equity of 18.68%. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.07 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 25.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that FirstCash Holdings, Inc. will post 11.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FirstCash Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. FirstCash's dividend payout ratio is 21.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of FirstCash from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research raised shares of FirstCash from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of FirstCash from $205.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on shares of FirstCash from $242.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered FirstCash from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, February 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, FirstCash has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $198.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FirstCash

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in FirstCash in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of FirstCash in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its position in shares of FirstCash by 127.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 490.9% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 195 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Community Bank N.A. purchased a new stake in shares of FirstCash during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. 80.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About FirstCash

FirstCash, Inc NASDAQ: FCFS is a leading integrated operator of pawn stores and provider of short-term consumer loan services in the United States and Mexico. Through its retail pawn outlets, FirstCash offers collateral-based loans secured by personal property, enabling customers to access liquidity without a credit history or traditional bank account. The company also purchases, trades and sells a broad range of secondhand merchandise, including electronics, jewelry and power tools, through its network of conveniently located stores.

In addition to its pawn-broking activities, FirstCash provides unsecured consumer loans designed to meet urgent cash needs.

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