ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA) Now Covered by StockNews.com

Investment analysts at StockNews.com started coverage on shares of ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Wednesday. The firm set a "hold" rating on the financial services provider's stock.

ESSA Bancorp Stock Down 2.0 %

Shares of ESSA traded down $0.38 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $18.93. 9,970 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 15,330. The company has a market capitalization of $192.23 million, a PE ratio of 10.88 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The business has a 50 day moving average of $20.51 and a 200 day moving average of $19.83. ESSA Bancorp has a 1-year low of $15.29 and a 1-year high of $22.22.

ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. ESSA Bancorp had a net margin of 14.83% and a return on equity of 7.27%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ESSA. State Street Corp increased its holdings in ESSA Bancorp by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 115,996 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,229,000 after buying an additional 554 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 186,717 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,641,000 after acquiring an additional 623 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 48,508 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $946,000 after acquiring an additional 900 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 27.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 4,922 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 1,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ESSA Bancorp by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 12,672 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 1,107 shares during the period. 54.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About ESSA Bancorp

ESSA Bancorp, Inc operates as a bank holding company for ESSA Bank & Trust that provides a range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses in Pennsylvania. The company accepts savings accounts, interest bearing demand accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, club accounts, certificates of deposit and IRAs, and other qualified plan accounts, as well as commercial checking accounts.