L & S Advisors Inc Acquires Shares of 20,186 FirstCash Holdings, Inc. $FCFS

L & S Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCFS) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 20,186 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,198,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in FirstCash during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of FirstCash during the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of FirstCash by 70.5% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 220 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 181.6% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. 80.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at FirstCash

In other news, insider Howard F. Hambleton sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.12, for a total transaction of $740,480.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 35,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,554,358.72. This trade represents a 10.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 150,846 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,533,920.38. This represents a 6.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 30,500 shares of company stock worth $5,438,945 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.93% of the company’s stock.

FirstCash Price Performance

FirstCash stock opened at $184.11 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 4.55, a quick ratio of 3.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.81 and a beta of 0.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $168.76 and a 200-day moving average of $157.32. FirstCash Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $109.51 and a 1 year high of $188.75.

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $2.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.12 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that FirstCash Holdings, Inc. will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

FirstCash announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $150.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

FirstCash Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be given a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. FirstCash’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.64%.

Key FirstCash News

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $217.00 price objective on FirstCash in a research report on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of FirstCash in a research note on Friday, October 31st. 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 report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, FirstCash has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $177.50.

FirstCash 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.