FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $199.25.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on FCFS shares. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of FirstCash from $235.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on shares of FirstCash from $242.00 to $252.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of FirstCash from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $228.49, for a total transaction of $2,284,900.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 140,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,181,902.54. This represents a 6.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Paula K. Garrett sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.40, for a total value of $326,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,564 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,427,013.60. This trade represents a 18.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 27,500 shares of company stock worth $6,243,104. 2.86% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On FirstCash

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of FirstCash during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in FirstCash during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in FirstCash by 490.9% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 195 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. High Point Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in FirstCash during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 113.2% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. 80.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about FirstCash

Here are the key news stories impacting FirstCash this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FirstCash posted record second-quarter results, with EPS of $2.50 beating estimates of $2.39 and revenue of $1.07 billion topping the $1.03 billion consensus. Management also said pawn demand helped drive a 58% increase in GAAP EPS and a 40% increase in adjusted EPS. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, signaling continued cash generation and shareholder returns. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: FirstCash also authorized a new $150 million share repurchase plan after completing its prior program, which can support earnings per share and investor confidence. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful short position reported, so it does not add a clear new catalyst for the shares.

FirstCash Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FCFS opened at $195.06 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $8.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.27 and a beta of 0.53. The business’s 50 day moving average is $219.55 and its 200-day moving average is $201.35. The company has a current ratio of 4.89, a quick ratio of 3.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. FirstCash has a 1-year low of $119.21 and a 1-year high of $235.97.

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.39 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $1.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. FirstCash had a return on equity of 19.65% and a net margin of 9.42%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 29.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.34 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that FirstCash will post 11.85 earnings per share for the current year.

FirstCash Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. FirstCash’s payout ratio is currently 19.18%.

About FirstCash

FirstCash, Inc (NASDAQ: FCFS) is a leading integrated operator of pawn stores and provider of short-term consumer loan services in the United States and Mexico. Through its retail pawn outlets, FirstCash offers collateral-based loans secured by personal property, enabling customers to access liquidity without a credit history or traditional bank account. The company also purchases, trades and sells a broad range of secondhand merchandise, including electronics, jewelry and power tools, through its network of conveniently located stores.

In addition to its pawn-broking activities, FirstCash provides unsecured consumer loans designed to meet urgent cash needs.