Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $134.82 and last traded at $104.50, with a volume of 52483 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $105.28.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Esquire Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 23rd. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Esquire Financial from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Esquire Financial in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $113.00.

Esquire Financial Price Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $102.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $100.36. The firm has a market cap of $895.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.33 and a beta of 0.43.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $37.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.21 million. Esquire Financial had a net margin of 31.26% and a return on equity of 18.55%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Esquire Financial Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 14th were given a $0.175 dividend. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. Esquire Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 12.28%.

Institutional Trading of Esquire Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Esquire Financial by 3.9% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 4,178 shares of the company’s stock valued at $315,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in Esquire Financial by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 10,270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $972,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Gator Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Esquire Financial by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Gator Capital Management LLC now owns 93,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,527,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its stake in shares of Esquire Financial by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 11,937 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,130,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in shares of Esquire Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 54.66% of the company’s stock.

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.