FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $217.00 price target on shares of FirstCash in a research report on Friday. 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 reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of FirstCash in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of FirstCash in a report on Friday, October 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $169.40.

FirstCash Stock Performance

Shares of FCFS opened at $181.92 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.35. The company has a quick ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 4.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. FirstCash has a 52 week low of $109.51 and a 52 week high of $188.75. The stock has a market cap of $8.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.52 and a beta of 0.49.

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) last announced 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. The company had revenue of $1.06 billion during 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 firm’s revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.12 EPS. On average, analysts expect that FirstCash will post 7.7 EPS for the current year.

FirstCash announced that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 2.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Randel G. Owen sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $152.20, for a total value of $228,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,651 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,164,482.20. This trade represents a 16.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Thomas Brent Stuart sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.97, for a total transaction of $1,599,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 127,724 shares in the company, valued at $20,432,008.28. This represents a 7.26% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 50,500 shares of company stock worth $8,150,640. 2.93% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in FirstCash by 2.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,096,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $649,040,000 after acquiring an additional 83,113 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 980,738 shares of the company’s stock worth $132,552,000 after purchasing an additional 11,534 shares during the period. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 857,510 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,847,000 after purchasing an additional 8,610 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of FirstCash by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 742,610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,644,000 after purchasing an additional 28,704 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Boston Partners raised its holdings in FirstCash by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 658,961 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,871,000 after buying an additional 8,503 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.30% of the company’s stock.

FirstCash News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting FirstCash this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat estimates — FirstCash reported $2.64 EPS vs. $2.54 consensus and revenue of $1.06B vs. $1.01B expected; revenue rose ~19.8% year‑over‑year and the company posted record quarterly and full‑year operating results. These beats and strong margins support near‑term upside for the stock. View Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.42/share (ex‑dividend Feb 18; pay Feb 27) — the payout provides income support for shareholders and may attract income‑oriented investors; the reported yield is roughly 0.9%. Press Release: Dividend & Results
• Positive Sentiment: Retail footprint growth — the company added 28 new pawn locations in Q4 through acquisitions and openings, supporting revenue diversification and same‑store growth potential going forward. Business Insider: Expansion Details
• Neutral Sentiment: Elevated trading volume — today’s volume is above the stock’s recent average, indicating higher investor attention but not directional proof by itself. (Background market data.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest data appears anomalous — a published February entry shows short interest listed as zero shares (no change from prior), which likely reflects a reporting/data issue rather than meaningful short covering. Monitor future filings for clarity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and previews — outlets published earnings previews and Q4 snapshots following the release; these provide context but contain no new material surprises beyond the company release. Houston Chronicle: Q4 Snapshot Benzinga: Earnings Preview

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.