Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Posted by Michael Walen on Jan 24th, 2026

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH – Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised shares of Pathward Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pathward Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.00.

View Our Latest Research Report on Pathward Financial

Pathward Financial Stock Up 7.3%

NASDAQ CASH traded up $5.82 on Friday, reaching $85.72. 572,907 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 183,653. Pathward Financial has a 12 month low of $64.45 and a 12 month high of $86.92. The company has a market cap of $1.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $73.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $74.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.79.

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The savings and loans company reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $173.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $185.80 million. Pathward Financial had a return on equity of 22.92% and a net margin of 22.95%.The business’s revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.29 EPS. Pathward Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-9.050 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Pathward Financial will post 7.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Pathward Financial

In other news, Director Douglas J. Hajek sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.11, for a total value of $204,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 16,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,132,737.41. This trade represents a 15.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pathward Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Pathward Financial by 647.8% during the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 344 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Pathward Financial in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Pathward Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $46,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Pathward Financial by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,281 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $169,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. 92.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Pathward Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Pathward Financial this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and net income growth — Pathward reported $1.57 GAAP EPS (vs. $1.38 consensus) and net income of $35.2M, improving year-over-year EPS and showing strong margins/ROE, which supports valuation re-rating. Pathward Financial (CASH) Surpasses Q1 Earnings Estimates
Positive Sentiment: FY2026 guidance raised — management updated FY2026 EPS guidance to $8.55–$9.05 (above prior consensus ~$8.45), which signals confidence in margins and earnings power for the year. Pathward Financial raises 2026 EPS guidance to $8.55-$9.05 while expanding partner pipeline
Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher price target — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded CASH to “Outperform” with a $100 target (~16.7% above the prior price), providing third‑party validation that may drive additional buying. Finviz
Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials available — the company posted its press release, slide deck and full earnings call/transcript for review, giving investors more detail on drivers (partner pipeline, margin dynamics). Pathward Financial, Inc. Announces Results for 2026 Fiscal First Quarter Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates and was roughly flat year-over-year — Q1 revenue was $173.1M vs. ~$185.8M expected and was down 0.2% YoY, which introduces execution risk on top-line growth despite the EPS beat. Pathward Financial beats Q1 earnings estimates, revenue falls short

About Pathward Financial

(Get Free Report)

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.