EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Director Sells $153,270.00 in Stock

Key Points

• EZCORP Director Matthew Appel sold 9,000 shares of stock at an average price of $17.03, reducing his ownership by 5.94% with remaining shares valued at approximately $2.42 million.
• The company reported earnings per share of $0.33 for the last quarter, exceeding expectations, with revenues of $310.98 million compared to estimates of $302.25 million.
• Institutional investors own 99.83% of EZCORP's stock, showing significant support for the company despite the recent insider selling.

EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) Director Matthew W. Appel sold 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.03, for a total value of $153,270.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 142,409 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,425,225.27. The trade was a 5.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

EZCORP Stock Performance

EZCORP stock traded up $0.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $17.04. 385,095 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 592,127. EZCORP, Inc. has a twelve month low of $10.56 and a twelve month high of $17.26. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $15.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 5.00 and a current ratio of 6.31. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 13.31 and a beta of 0.63.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The company had revenue of $310.98 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $302.25 million. EZCORP had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 7.96%. Equities analysts predict that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EZPW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a report on Friday, August 1st. 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 report on Tuesday, May 20th. One 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EZCORP presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $18.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EZPW. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new position in EZCORP during the second quarter worth $31,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in EZCORP by 60.4% during 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 acquired a new position in EZCORP during the first quarter worth $91,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in EZCORP by 652.4% during the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 7,637 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 6,622 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC purchased a new position in EZCORP during the fourth quarter worth $138,000. 99.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.