ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at StockNews.com

Analysts at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA - Get Free Report) in a research report issued on Sunday. The brokerage set a "hold" rating on the financial services provider's stock.

ESSA Bancorp Price Performance

Shares of ESSA Bancorp stock traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $18.46. 523 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,398. The stock has a market cap of $187.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.61 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.94. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $18.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.68. ESSA Bancorp has a 12 month low of $15.82 and a 12 month high of $22.22.

ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $16.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.19 million. ESSA Bancorp had a return on equity of 7.27% and a net margin of 14.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ESSA Bancorp

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 27.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 4,922 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 1,072 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in ESSA Bancorp in the 4th quarter valued at about $109,000. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in ESSA Bancorp by 44.5% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 12,118 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $236,000 after purchasing an additional 3,731 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 12,672 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $247,000 after purchasing an additional 1,107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 184.2% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 13,723 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 8,895 shares in the last quarter. 54.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

ESSA Bancorp Company Profile

ESSA Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for ESSA Bank & Trust that provides a range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses in Pennsylvania. The company accepts savings accounts, interest bearing demand accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, club accounts, certificates of deposit and IRAs, and other qualified plan accounts, as well as commercial checking accounts.