EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $28.19 and traded as high as $32.88. EZCORP shares last traded at $31.96, with a volume of 479,736 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on EZPW shares. Roth Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $40.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of EZCORP in a report on Monday, May 11th. Citizens Jmp raised their target price on EZCORP from $33.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on EZCORP from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut EZCORP from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, EZCORP has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $38.80.

EZCORP Trading Up 0.1%

The stock has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.70 and a beta of 0.64. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $32.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 4.71 and a quick ratio of 3.52.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The credit services provider reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.22. EZCORP had a return on equity of 13.45% and a net margin of 9.91%.The company had revenue of $434.90 million during the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that EZCORP, Inc. will post 2 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Pablo Lagos Espinosa sold 10,000 shares of EZCORP stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.54, for a total transaction of $355,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 207,543 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,376,078.22. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Jason A. Kulas sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.56, for a total value of $671,200.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 172,948 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,804,134.88. The trade was a 10.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 40,000 shares of company stock worth $1,346,600. Insiders own 2.13% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EZCORP

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in EZCORP in the second quarter worth $31,000. KBC Group NV purchased a new position in EZCORP in the first quarter worth $44,000. Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in EZCORP by 533.5% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,667 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 2,246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC increased its stake in EZCORP by 21.2% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,146 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 724 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.83% of the company’s stock.

About EZCORP

EZCORP, Inc is a specialty consumer finance company that provides pawn loans and retail merchandise programs primarily through its EZPAWN and Cash Converters brands. The company offers collateral-based loans secured principally by jewelry, electronics, musical instruments and other personal items, alongside check-cashing, money-transfer and bill-payment services. In addition to its pawn lending operations, EZCORP acquires previously pawned or consumer merchandise for resale through its “Sell-It-Now” platform and retail storefronts.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, EZCORP operates in two principal geographic markets: the United States and Mexico.