FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS) Short Interest Update
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyFirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 519,981 shares, a decrease of 12.5% from the January 15th total of 594,289 shares. Approximately 1.4% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 235,136 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 235,136 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 1.4% of the company’s stock are short sold.
Insider Transactions at FirstCash
In related news, CFO R Douglas Orr sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.99, for a total transaction of $365,980.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 36,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,721,954.66. The trade was a 5.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.53, for a total transaction of $1,825,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 150,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,533,920.38. This trade represents a 6.22% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 30,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,438,945 in the last three months. 2.93% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On FirstCash
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in FCFS. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in FirstCash by 4.7% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 22,946 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,761,000 after buying an additional 1,021 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of FirstCash by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 389,509 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,866,000 after acquiring an additional 34,364 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in shares of FirstCash by 237.2% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 62,057 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,467,000 after purchasing an additional 43,653 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in FirstCash by 181.6% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 290 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC raised its holdings in FirstCash by 477.6% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $404,000 after purchasing an additional 2,469 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.30% of the company’s stock.
FirstCash Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:FCFS opened at $184.11 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 3.36 and a current ratio of 4.55. The firm has a market cap of $8.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.81 and a beta of 0.49. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $168.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $157.32. FirstCash has a fifty-two week low of $109.51 and a fifty-two week high of $188.75.
FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $2.64 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.54 by $0.10. FirstCash had a net margin of 9.02% and a return on equity of 17.99%. The firm had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.12 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that FirstCash will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.
FirstCash Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 18th. FirstCash’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.64%.
FirstCash declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 2.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
FirstCash News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting FirstCash this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell sharply (reported ~12.5% decline), reducing potential selling pressure from shorts and potentially providing mechanical support as bearish positions unwind. Short Interest in FirstCash Declines By 12.5%
- Positive Sentiment: FirstCash declared a quarterly dividend (record date Feb 18; payment Feb 27) and still has an active share-repurchase authorization (~$150M program), both supportive of shareholder returns and signaling management confidence. FCFS insider & company update
- Positive Sentiment: Sector coverage highlighting FirstCash as a stabilizing holding in Nasdaq financial ETFs can increase demand from index/defensive investors and lift the multiple. How FirstCash Provides Stability To Nasdaq Index Fund Financial Sector
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and valuation notes are mixed — some firms keep Buy ratings and higher targets while others have trimmed enthusiasm; useful context for longer-term positioning but not an immediate catalyst. A Look At FirstCash Valuation After Strong Recent Share Price Momentum
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by senior executives: COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares (~$1.83M at ~$182.53) and CFO R. Douglas Orr sold multiple tranches (~3,000 shares around $173–183), plus director Howard Hambleton sold 4,000 shares at ~$185. These SEC-filed sales (Form 4s) reduce insider ownership and can create short-term sentiment headwinds. COO Form 4 CFO Form 4 Director Form 4
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research firms have commented on FCFS. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of FirstCash in a report on Friday, October 31st. Zacks Research cut shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of FirstCash in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $217.00 target price on shares of FirstCash in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $177.50.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on FirstCash
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.