Sezzle (NASDAQ:SEZL) Trading Up 5.4% - Time to Buy?

Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 5.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $129.73 and last traded at $129.44. Approximately 137,917 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 811,381 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.83.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on SEZL shares. Oppenheimer started coverage on shares of Sezzle in a report on Thursday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $168.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Sezzle from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $62.83 price target (up previously from $62.00) on shares of Sezzle in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $96.94.

Sezzle Stock Down 4.7%

The stock's fifty day moving average price is $79.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $56.47. The stock has a market cap of $4.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.21 and a beta of 9.06. The company has a current ratio of 2.40, a quick ratio of 2.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54.

Sezzle announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, March 10th that allows the company to repurchase $50.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 4.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Paul Paradis sold 18,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 315,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,625,000. This represents a 5.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Amin Sabzivand sold 1,684 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.67, for a total transaction of $209,944.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 244,074 shares of the company's stock, valued at $30,428,705.58. This trade represents a 0.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 443,080 shares of company stock valued at $34,247,838. Corporate insiders own 49.49% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sezzle

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in SEZL. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Sezzle by 497.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,013,698 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,368,000 after purchasing an additional 844,084 shares in the last quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Sezzle by 497.8% during the 1st quarter. Driehaus Capital Management LLC now owns 327,276 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,419,000 after buying an additional 272,530 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in Sezzle by 1,068.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 169,487 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,913,000 after buying an additional 154,978 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Sezzle by 719.1% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 173,310 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,040,000 after buying an additional 152,152 shares during the period. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Sezzle during the 1st quarter valued at $4,011,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 2.02% of the company's stock.

About Sezzle

Sezzle Inc operates as a technology-enabled payments company primarily in the United States and Canada. The company provides payment solution in-store and at online retail stores; and through proprietary payments solution that connects consumers with merchants. It also offers Sezzle Platform that provides a payments solution for consumers that extends credit at the point-of-sale allowing consumers to purchase and receive the ordered merchandise at the time of sale while paying in installments over time; Pay-in-Four, which allows consumers to pay a fourth of the purchase price up front and then another fourth of the purchase price every two weeks thereafter over a total of six weeks; Pay-in-Full that allows consumers to pay for the full value of their order up-front through the Sezzle Platform without the extension of credit; and Pay-in-Two and other alternative installment options, which allow consumer to pay half of the value of their order up-front and the second half in two weeks.