Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) Reaches New 12-Month High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Pathward Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASH) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $86.92 and last traded at $84.2160, with a volume of 50444 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $79.90.

The savings and loans company reported $1.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.19. Pathward Financial had a net margin of 22.45% and a return on equity of 22.97%. The firm had revenue of $173.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $185.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.29 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pathward Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-9.050 EPS.

Pathward Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 10th were issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 10th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Pathward Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 2.53%.

Pathward Financial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pathward Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat — Pathward reported $1.57 EPS vs. consensus $1.38 and net income rose year‑over‑year, showing operating leverage and driving investor optimism. Business Wire: Q1 Results
• Positive Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance raised — management lifted EPS guidance to $8.55–$9.05, above consensus, signaling confidence in margin expansion and partner growth going into FY26. Seeking Alpha: Guidance Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and core growth commentary — earnings call and highlights emphasize expansion of the partner pipeline and continued strength in core businesses, supporting the raised guidance outlook. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed disclosure available — the full earnings call transcript, slide deck and press release are posted for investors to assess management remarks and forward guidance assumptions. Seeking Alpha: Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Solid profitability metrics — company reported a net margin around 22.45% and ROE near 22.97%, underscoring efficiency even as revenue trends fluctuate. MarketBeat: Earnings Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates — Q1 revenue was $173.1M vs. consensus ~$185.8M and was down slightly year‑over‑year, raising questions about near‑term growth momentum. Investing.com: Revenue Miss

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Pathward Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $91.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pathward Financial news, Director Douglas J. Hajek sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.11, for a total transaction of $204,330.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,631 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,132,737.41. This trade represents a 15.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sheets Smith Wealth Management increased its stake in Pathward Financial by 49.6% in the fourth quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 5,267 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 1,747 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Pathward Financial by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 9,940 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $706,000 after buying an additional 395 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Pathward Financial by 19.9% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 159,673 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $11,476,000 after acquiring an additional 26,446 shares in the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC grew its stake in Pathward Financial by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 14,472 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $1,028,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of Pathward Financial by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 10,239 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $727,000 after acquiring an additional 441 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.66% of the company’s stock.

Pathward Financial Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $73.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $74.62. The company has a market cap of $1.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.63 and a beta of 0.74.

About Pathward Financial

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) is a U.S.-based financial services company that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pathward Bank. The company provides a range of banking and payment solutions designed for consumers, small businesses, community banks and fintech partners. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, debit and prepaid card programs, digital banking platforms and treasury management services.

Through its banking charter, Pathward Financial delivers customizable payment solutions, including prepaid cards, payroll cards and benefit disbursement programs.