Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Time to Buy?

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Wednesday . 77,103 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the previous session’s volume of 105,863 shares.The stock last traded at $120.9150 and had previously closed at $122.83.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESQ has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised Esquire Financial from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esquire Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, April 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $120.33.

Esquire Financial Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 20.19 and a beta of 0.39. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $114.32 and its 200 day moving average is $110.18.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.06. Esquire Financial had a net margin of 29.96% and a return on equity of 18.30%. The firm had revenue of $40.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $40.76 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 6.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Esquire Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Esquire Financial’s payout ratio is currently 13.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esquire Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in Esquire Financial during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of Esquire Financial by 247.8% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 553 shares of the company’s stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in Esquire Financial by 352.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 810 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 631 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in Esquire Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at about $93,000. 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.