EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Reaches New 1-Year High – Still a Buy?

EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $12.85 and last traded at $12.85, with a volume of 125 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.80.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EZPW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Stephens began coverage on EZCORP in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $13.00 price objective on the stock.

EZCORP Trading Down 0.9 %

The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 2.71. The stock has a market cap of $691.22 million, a P/E ratio of 11.53 and a beta of 1.03.

Insider Transactions at EZCORP

In other EZCORP news, insider Sunil Sajnani sold 34,493 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.42, for a total value of $428,403.06. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 66,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $822,725.64. This trade represents a 34.24 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of EZCORP

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,301,392 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $37,405,000 after buying an additional 34,821 shares during the period. ARS Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of EZCORP by 12.7% in the 2nd quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC now owns 16,874 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $177,000 after purchasing an additional 1,899 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in shares of EZCORP by 44.4% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,460,564 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $15,292,000 after purchasing an additional 449,360 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the second quarter worth $71,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new stake in EZCORP in the second quarter valued at about $265,000. 99.83% of the stock is currently 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.