EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) vs. Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 (NASDAQ:ATLCZ) Critical Contrast

Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 (NASDAQ:ATLCZ) and EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, risk, earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends and institutional ownership.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 and EZCORP”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
EZCORP	$1.27 billion	1.37	$109.61 million	$1.98	14.33

EZCORP has higher revenue and earnings than Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029.

Profitability

This table compares Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 and EZCORP’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029	N/A	N/A	N/A
EZCORP	9.97%	13.99%	7.49%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 and EZCORP, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029	0	0	0	0	0.00
EZCORP	0	2	6	0	2.75

EZCORP has a consensus target price of $38.80, suggesting a potential upside of 36.72%. Given EZCORP’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe EZCORP is more favorable than Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

99.8% of EZCORP shares are held by institutional investors. 2.1% of EZCORP shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

EZCORP beats Atlanticus Holdings Co. 9.25% Senior Notes due 2029 on 9 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EZCORP

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. It also retails merchandise, primarily collateral forfeited from pawn lending operations and pre-owned merchandise purchased from customers. In addition, the company provides EZ+, a web-based application that allow customers to manage their pawn transactions, layaways, and loyalty rewards online. Further, it operates under the EZPAWN, Value Pawn & Jewelry, Empeño Fácil, Cash Apoyo Efectivo, GuatePrenda, and MaxiEfectivo brands. EZCORP, Inc. was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.