Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Shares of Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ) saw unusually-high trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 42,511 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 17% from the previous session’s volume of 51,332 shares.The stock last traded at $106.4540 and had previously closed at $104.50.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Esquire Financial in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esquire Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 23rd. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Esquire Financial from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $113.00.

Esquire Financial Stock Down 1.0%

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $103.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $100.53. The company has a market capitalization of $915.19 million, a P/E ratio of 18.74 and a beta of 0.43.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.01. Esquire Financial had a net margin of 31.26% and a return on equity of 18.55%. The company had revenue of $37.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.21 million. Analysts anticipate that Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Esquire Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Investors of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Esquire Financial’s payout ratio is 12.28%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esquire Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ESQ. Cox Capital Mgt LLC boosted its stake in shares of Esquire Financial by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Cox Capital Mgt LLC now owns 38,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,990,000 after purchasing an additional 706 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Esquire Financial by 36.0% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,254 shares of the company’s stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 861 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co. purchased a new stake in Esquire Financial in the fourth quarter valued at about $220,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Esquire Financial by 48.9% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 8,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $864,000 after acquiring an additional 2,782 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Esquire Financial during the third quarter worth about $93,000. 54.66% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Esquire Financial Company Profile

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc is a bank holding company whose principal subsidiary, Esquire Bank, specializes in residential mortgage lending and community banking services. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the company operates through multiple distribution channels, including retail branches, wholesale and correspondent lending divisions. Esquire Financial focuses on tailored home financing solutions while maintaining a community-oriented approach to banking.

In its mortgage lending business, Esquire Bank originates and services a range of home loan products, including government-insured mortgages (FHA, VA and USDA) as well as conventional conforming and jumbo loans.