Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Reaches New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $108.77 and last traded at $108.8390, with a volume of 39256 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $105.83.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ESQ. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Esquire Financial in a research note on Monday. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Esquire Financial from $113.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Esquire Financial from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $113.00.

Esquire Financial Stock Up 2.5%

The business’s 50-day moving average is $100.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $98.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $929.85 million, a PE ratio of 19.04 and a beta of 0.42.

Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.01. Esquire Financial had a return on equity of 18.55% and a net margin of 31.26%.The business had revenue of $37.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.21 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 5.52 EPS for the current year.

Esquire Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Esquire Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 12.28%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esquire Financial

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in Esquire Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $93,000. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Esquire Financial by 0.5% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 368,064 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,563,000 after acquiring an additional 1,878 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Esquire Financial during the third quarter worth about $1,431,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its position in Esquire Financial by 24.8% in the third quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 3,394 shares of the company’s stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 674 shares during the period. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Esquire Financial by 232.3% in the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 11,375 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,161,000 after purchasing an additional 7,952 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.66% of the company’s stock.

About Esquire Financial

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Esquire Bank, National Association that provides commercial banking products and services to legal industry and small businesses, and commercial and retail customers in the United States. The company offers checking, savings, money market, and time deposits, as well as certificates of deposit.