Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Raymond James Financial

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) was upgraded by Raymond James Financial from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage presently has a $125.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial’s target price suggests a potential upside of 11.45% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on ESQ. Weiss Ratings raised Esquire Financial from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Wall Street Zen lowered Esquire Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Esquire Financial from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $120.33.

Esquire Financial Price Performance

NASDAQ:ESQ traded up $6.16 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $112.16. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 25,766 shares, compared to its average volume of 81,257. The company has a market cap of $961.17 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.09 and a beta of 0.47. Esquire Financial has a one year low of $69.14 and a one year high of $134.82. The business’s 50-day moving average is $107.00 and its 200-day moving average is $103.11.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56 by ($0.01). Esquire Financial had a net margin of 30.90% and a return on equity of 18.72%. The company had revenue of $39.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.93 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Esquire Financial will post 5.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esquire Financial

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in Esquire Financial during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in Esquire Financial in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in Esquire Financial by 247.8% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 553 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 394 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Esquire Financial by 64.3% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of Esquire Financial by 352.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 810 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 631 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.66% of the company’s stock.

Esquire Financial Company Profile

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.