EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW) gapped up before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $13.45, but opened at $14.12. EZCORP shares last traded at $13.88, with a volume of 75,249 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on EZPW. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $13.50 price objective on shares of EZCORP in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Roth Capital set a $16.00 price target on EZCORP in a report on Monday. Roth Mkm started coverage on EZCORP in a report on Monday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on EZCORP from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, EZCORP presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $16.88.

EZCORP Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $766.40 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.13 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a 50 day moving average of $13.00 and a 200 day moving average of $12.18. The company has a quick ratio of 2.13, a current ratio of 2.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The credit services provider reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.07. EZCORP had a return on equity of 11.04% and a net margin of 7.25%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new position in EZCORP in the fourth quarter valued at $465,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its position in EZCORP by 6.3% during 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 acquiring an additional 5,524 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its position in EZCORP by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,022,570 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $12,496,000 after acquiring an additional 12,800 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLC grew its position in EZCORP by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC now owns 14,425 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 896 shares during the period. Finally, Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in EZCORP during the fourth quarter valued at about $138,000. 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.