Tower Research Capital LLC TRC Increases Position in EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) by 183.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 56,637 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 36,634 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC owned approximately 0.10% of EZCORP worth $692,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royce & Associates LP grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 77.6% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 658,515 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $8,047,000 after acquiring an additional 287,818 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of EZCORP in the fourth quarter worth about $3,067,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of EZCORP by 38.6% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 590,016 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $7,210,000 after purchasing an additional 164,260 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of EZCORP in the fourth quarter worth about $1,860,000. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP grew its stake in EZCORP by 35.1% during the fourth quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 377,529 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $4,613,000 after acquiring an additional 98,090 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.83% of the company's stock.

EZCORP Price Performance

NASDAQ EZPW traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $16.37. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,910,969 shares, compared to its average volume of 677,264. The firm has a market capitalization of $899.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.23 and a beta of 0.81. The company's 50-day moving average is $14.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.91 and a quick ratio of 2.13. EZCORP, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.66 and a 1-year high of $16.75.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. EZCORP had a net margin of 7.25% and a return on equity of 11.04%. The business had revenue of $306.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $310.35 million. On average, equities analysts predict that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on EZPW shares. Roth Mkm initiated coverage on EZCORP in a research note on Monday, March 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. Roth Capital set a $16.00 price objective on EZCORP in a research note on Monday, March 17th. StockNews.com downgraded EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on EZCORP from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "equal weight" rating and set a $13.50 target price on shares of EZCORP in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $16.88.

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.