Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ – Get Free Report) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 72,485 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 25% from the previous session’s volume of 96,514 shares.The stock last traded at $111.2130 and had previously closed at $112.76.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several brokerages have recently commented on ESQ. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Esquire Financial from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Esquire Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Esquire Financial from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Esquire Financial from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $120.33.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ESQ
Esquire Financial Trading Down 0.2%
Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.06. Esquire Financial had a net margin of 29.96% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The firm had revenue of $40.46 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.76 million. On average, analysts forecast that Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 6.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Esquire Financial Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. Esquire Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 13.45%.
Insider Activity at Esquire Financial
In related news, Director Richard T. Powers sold 2,308 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.83, for a total transaction of $241,947.64. Following the sale, the director directly owned 58,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,104,565.39. This represents a 3.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Selig Zises sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.10, for a total transaction of $525,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 6,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $683,255.10. The trade was a 43.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 32,308 shares of company stock worth $3,430,948. 18.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esquire Financial
Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Esquire Financial by 418.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 87,530 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,409,000 after buying an additional 70,646 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its stake in Esquire Financial by 26.6% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 4,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $531,000 after buying an additional 1,039 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Esquire Financial by 471.4% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 56,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,020,000 after buying an additional 46,200 shares during the period. Inceptionr LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Esquire Financial in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of Esquire Financial by 38.4% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 26,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,830,000 after purchasing an additional 7,302 shares in the last quarter. 54.66% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Esquire Financial
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.
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