564,555 Shares in EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW) Bought by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 564,555 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $8,310,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in EZCORP during the first quarter worth $382,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in EZCORP during the fourth quarter worth $1,860,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its holdings in EZCORP by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 92,641 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 5,524 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in EZCORP in the first quarter valued at approximately $902,000. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its holdings in EZCORP by 680.7% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 148,480 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,186,000 after purchasing an additional 129,460 shares during the period. 99.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EZCORP Stock Down 1.8%

EZPW opened at $13.95 on Wednesday. EZCORP, Inc. has a twelve month low of $9.91 and a twelve month high of $16.60. The company has a quick ratio of 3.25, a current ratio of 4.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $13.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.81. The company has a market cap of $767.39 million, a PE ratio of 11.72 and a beta of 0.52.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 28th. The credit services provider reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.02. EZCORP had a net margin of 7.45% and a return on equity of 11.53%. The firm had revenue of $306.32 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $310.35 million. Sell-side analysts expect that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on EZPW shares. BTIG Research started coverage on EZCORP in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised EZCORP from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 14th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on shares of EZCORP from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $17.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $18.50.

Insider Transactions at EZCORP

In other news, COO John Blair Jr. Powell sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.81, for a total value of $48,335.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 145,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,016,025.23. This trade represents a 2.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 86,000 shares of company stock worth $1,220,010. Insiders own 2.13% of the company’s stock.

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.