First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. Sells 36,367 Shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. lowered its holdings in EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW - Free Report) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,340,030 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 36,367 shares during the quarter. EZCORP accounts for 7.7% of First Wilshire Securities Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. First Wilshire Securities Management Inc. owned approximately 4.30% of EZCORP worth $28,595,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in EZPW. Trexquant Investment LP boosted its position in EZCORP by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 377,529 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $4,613,000 after purchasing an additional 98,090 shares in the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EZCORP during the 4th quarter valued at about $197,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of EZCORP in the 4th quarter valued at about $849,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in EZCORP in the 4th quarter worth about $3,067,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in EZCORP by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 590,016 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $7,210,000 after purchasing an additional 164,260 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.83% of the company's stock.

EZCORP Price Performance

EZPW stock traded down $0.55 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $15.23. The stock had a trading volume of 2,731,025 shares, compared to its average volume of 577,926. EZCORP, Inc. has a 52-week low of $9.66 and a 52-week high of $16.35. The company has a current ratio of 2.91, a quick ratio of 2.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $13.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.49. The company has a market cap of $836.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.24 and a beta of 0.81.

EZCORP (NASDAQ:EZPW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The credit services provider reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.07. EZCORP had a net margin of 7.25% and a return on equity of 11.04%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that EZCORP, Inc. will post 1.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on EZPW shares. Stephens restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $13.50 price objective on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com lowered shares of EZCORP from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on shares of EZCORP from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Roth Mkm started coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Monday, March 17th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $16.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Roth Capital set a $16.00 price target on shares of EZCORP in a research report on Monday, March 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EZCORP has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $16.88.

EZCORP Profile

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.