EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Reaches New 12-Month High After Earnings Beat

EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $12.85 and last traded at $12.70, with a volume of 1073578 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.24.

The credit services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.07. EZCORP had a net margin of 7.15% and a return on equity of 10.65%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $13.50 price target on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Thursday.

Insider Transactions at EZCORP

In other EZCORP news, insider Sunil Sajnani sold 34,493 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.42, for a total transaction of $428,403.06. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 66,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $822,725.64. This represents a 34.24 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CRO Nicole Swies sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.47, for a total transaction of $124,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive now owns 101,813 shares in the company, valued at $1,269,608.11. The trade was a 8.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in EZCORP during the third quarter worth about $32,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in EZCORP by 97.0% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,156 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,554 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in EZCORP during the third quarter worth about $106,000. nVerses Capital LLC increased its position in EZCORP by 640.0% during the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 11,100 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 9,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR acquired a new stake in EZCORP during the third quarter worth about $138,000. 99.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EZCORP Trading Up 3.3 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $688.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.40 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s 50-day moving average is $12.20 and its 200-day moving average is $11.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 2.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

About EZCORP

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.