FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS) Short Interest Update
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyFirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 544,966 shares, a decrease of 30.7% from the February 12th total of 786,601 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 240,022 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days. Currently, 1.5% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 1.5% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 240,022 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.3 days.
FirstCash Stock Performance
FCFS stock traded up $2.12 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $193.07. The company had a trading volume of 210,677 shares, compared to its average volume of 274,573. 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 stock has a 50 day moving average price of $178.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $163.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.02 and a beta of 0.46. FirstCash has a fifty-two week low of $113.32 and a fifty-two week high of $199.60.
FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $2.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.54 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. FirstCash had a return on equity of 17.99% and a net margin of 9.02%.The business’s revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.12 EPS. Analysts anticipate that FirstCash will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current year.
FirstCash Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were given a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. FirstCash’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.64%.
Insider Buying and Selling at FirstCash
In other FirstCash news, COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.53, for a total transaction of $1,825,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 150,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,533,920.38. This trade represents a 6.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Howard F. Hambleton sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.12, for a total transaction of $740,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 35,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,554,358.72. This trade represents a 10.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 30,500 shares of company stock worth $5,438,945 in the last ninety days. 2.93% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Trading of FirstCash
Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of FirstCash in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its position in shares of FirstCash by 127.8% during the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 during the period. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in FirstCash in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in FirstCash in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 80.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
FCFS has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of FirstCash in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 2nd. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $217.00 price objective on shares of FirstCash in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 15th. One equities research 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $177.50.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on FirstCash
FirstCash Company Profile
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.