ARS Investment Partners LLC Sells 1,358 Shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW)

ARS Investment Partners LLC lessened its holdings in shares of EZCORP, Inc. (NASDAQ:EZPW) by 7.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,893 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 1,358 shares during the quarter. ARS Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in EZCORP were worth $194,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in EZCORP by 62.0% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 565,636 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $5,922,000 after buying an additional 216,480 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 26.5% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 100,793 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,044,000 after purchasing an additional 21,123 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of EZCORP by 108.0% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 62,672 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $656,000 after purchasing an additional 32,537 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its stake in shares of EZCORP by 5.7% during the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 114,311 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,197,000 after purchasing an additional 6,186 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in EZCORP during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,624,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.83% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of EZCORP in a report on Friday, October 4th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of EZCORP in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $13.00 price objective for the company.

EZCORP Price Performance

NASDAQ:EZPW opened at $12.47 on Wednesday. EZCORP, Inc. has a 52-week low of $8.20 and a 52-week high of $12.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $12.19 and a 200 day moving average of $11.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 2.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $679.18 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.23 and a beta of 1.03.

Insider Buying and Selling at EZCORP

In related news, CRO Nicole Swies sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.47, for a total value of $124,700.00. Following the transaction, the executive now owns 101,813 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,269,608.11. This represents a 8.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Sunil Sajnani sold 34,493 shares of EZCORP stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.42, for a total value of $428,403.06. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 66,242 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $822,725.64. This trade represents a 34.24 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.13% of the company’s stock.

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.