Richard Powers Sells 2,308 Shares of Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Stock

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ) Director Richard Powers sold 2,308 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.83, for a total value of $241,947.64. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 58,233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,104,565.39. This trade represents a 3.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Esquire Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ESQ opened at $105.45 on Friday. Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $69.14 and a one year high of $134.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $911.10 million, a P/E ratio of 17.93 and a beta of 0.47. The company’s fifty day moving average is $107.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $103.50.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). Esquire Financial had a net margin of 30.90% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The company had revenue of $39.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.93 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Esquire Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This is an increase from Esquire Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Esquire Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.61%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ESQ has been the subject of a number of research reports. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Esquire Financial from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $125.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Esquire Financial from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Esquire Financial from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Esquire Financial from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $120.33.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Esquire Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Esquire Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Esquire Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Esquire Financial by 247.8% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 553 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Esquire Financial by 64.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Esquire Financial by 352.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 810 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after buying an additional 631 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.