FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) Releases Earnings Results

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.39, Zacks reports. FirstCash had a net margin of 9.02% and a return on equity of 17.99%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.07 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 25.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

FirstCash Price Performance

FCFS traded up $7.85 during trading on Thursday, reaching $213.48. The stock had a trading volume of 162,961 shares, compared to its average volume of 307,095. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $193.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.76. The company has a quick ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 4.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.77 and a beta of 0.47. FirstCash has a 1-year low of $119.21 and a 1-year high of $227.26.

FirstCash Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 18th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. FirstCash’s payout ratio is presently 22.64%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on FCFS shares. Wall Street Zen cut FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of FirstCash from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research lowered FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on FirstCash from $217.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $183.25.

Insider Transactions at FirstCash

In other news, insider Howard F. Hambleton sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.12, for a total value of $740,480.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 35,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,554,358.72. The trade was a 10.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.53, for a total value of $1,825,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 150,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,533,920.38. This represents a 6.22% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 26,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,783,985. Corporate insiders own 2.93% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of FirstCash

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FCFS. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in FirstCash by 490.9% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 195 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of FirstCash during the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of FirstCash by 6,200.0% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 315 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 154.1% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 559 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 80.1% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 816 shares of the company’s stock worth $129,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares during the last quarter. 80.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About FirstCash

FirstCash, Inc (NASDAQ: FCFS) is a leading integrated operator of pawn stores and provider of short-term consumer loan services in the United States and Mexico. Through its retail pawn outlets, FirstCash offers collateral-based loans secured by personal property, enabling customers to access liquidity without a credit history or traditional bank account. The company also purchases, trades and sells a broad range of secondhand merchandise, including electronics, jewelry and power tools, through its network of conveniently located stores.

In addition to its pawn-broking activities, FirstCash provides unsecured consumer loans designed to meet urgent cash needs.