FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $217.00 target price on shares of FirstCash in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen reiterated 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 note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of FirstCash from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, FirstCash has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $169.40.

FirstCash Stock Performance

Shares of FCFS opened at $181.92 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.55, a quick ratio of 3.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm has a market cap of $8.03 billion, a PE ratio of 24.52 and a beta of 0.49. FirstCash has a 12 month low of $109.51 and a 12 month high of $188.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $164.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $154.21.

FirstCash (NASDAQ:FCFS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $2.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.54 by $0.10. FirstCash had a return on equity of 17.99% and a net margin of 9.02%.The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.12 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that FirstCash will post 7.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FirstCash Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. FirstCash’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.24%.

FirstCash announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Howard F. Hambleton sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $163.74, for a total value of $654,960.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 26,581 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,352,372.94. This trade represents a 13.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Rick L. Wessel sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.39, for a total value of $3,127,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 866,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $135,587,314.98. This trade represents a 2.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 50,500 shares of company stock worth $8,150,640. Company insiders own 2.93% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FCFS. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of FirstCash during the second quarter worth approximately $336,000. Drive Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in FirstCash during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $230,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in shares of FirstCash by 685.2% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 37,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,121,000 after purchasing an additional 33,070 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of FirstCash by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 388,635 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,520,000 after purchasing an additional 6,633 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of FirstCash during the 3rd quarter worth $1,361,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting FirstCash

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.