Pathward Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASH) Short Interest Update

Pathward Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASH) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 1,911,209 shares, an increase of 19.0% from the February 12th total of 1,605,933 shares. Approximately 8.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 281,191 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.8 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 281,191 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 6.8 days. Approximately 8.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Pathward Financial Price Performance

CASH opened at $91.17 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Pathward Financial has a 52-week low of $64.45 and a 52-week high of $96.06. The company has a 50 day moving average of $86.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $77.79. The company has a market cap of $1.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.15 and a beta of 0.74.

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The savings and loans company reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $173.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $185.80 million. Pathward Financial had a return on equity of 22.76% and a net margin of 22.95%.The company’s revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.29 earnings per share. Pathward Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-9.050 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Pathward Financial will post 7.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Pathward Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. Pathward Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2.44%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CASH. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised shares of Pathward Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Pathward Financial from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Pathward Financial in a report on Thursday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $107.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Pathward Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $103.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Brett L. Pharr sold 15,641 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.88, for a total value of $1,468,377.08. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 78,261 shares in the company, valued at $7,347,142.68. This represents a 16.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pathward Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Pathward Financial by 43,200.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 433 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 432 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pathward Financial by 23.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 630 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Pathward Financial in the second quarter worth about $46,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Pathward Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $77,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Pathward Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $88,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.66% of the company’s stock.

Pathward Financial Company Profile

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) is a U.S.-based financial services company that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pathward Bank. The company provides a range of banking and payment solutions designed for consumers, small businesses, community banks and fintech partners. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, debit and prepaid card programs, digital banking platforms and treasury management services.

Through its banking charter, Pathward Financial delivers customizable payment solutions, including prepaid cards, payroll cards and benefit disbursement programs.