ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA) Stock Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Here's What Happened

Shares of ESSA Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESSA - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $17.82 and traded as high as $20.09. ESSA Bancorp shares last traded at $20.09, with a volume of 7,722 shares trading hands.

ESSA Bancorp Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $195.75 million, a P/E ratio of 10.63 and a beta of 0.36. The company's 50 day moving average price is $18.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.82.

ESSA Bancorp (NASDAQ:ESSA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The financial services provider reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $16.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.29 million. ESSA Bancorp had a return on equity of 7.84% and a net margin of 15.78%.

ESSA Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.11%. ESSA Bancorp's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.43%.

Institutional Trading of ESSA Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 0.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 441,226 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,044,000 after buying an additional 2,056 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in ESSA Bancorp by 8.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 41,956 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $765,000 after purchasing an additional 3,150 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 30,115 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $530,000 after buying an additional 977 shares during the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of ESSA Bancorp by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 29,444 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $518,000 after buying an additional 1,343 shares during the period. Finally, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in ESSA Bancorp in the 2nd quarter valued at about $300,000. 54.15% of the stock is owned by 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.