Esquire Financial (NASDAQ:ESQ) Reaches New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on the stock from $72.00 to $80.00. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the stock. Esquire Financial traded as high as $80.15 and last traded at $79.69, with a volume of 8440 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $78.90.

Separately, Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $75.00 price objective (up from $72.00) on shares of Esquire Financial in a report on Friday, October 25th.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Selig Zises sold 8,000 shares of Esquire Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.77, for a total value of $614,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 62,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,805,878.77. This trade represents a 11.33 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 18.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Esquire Financial

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ESQ. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Esquire Financial by 36.6% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 798 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Esquire Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Esquire Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Esquire Financial during the 3rd quarter worth $64,000. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank bought a new stake in shares of Esquire Financial during the second quarter valued at about $91,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.66% of the company’s stock.

Esquire Financial Price Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $68.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $59.08. The firm has a market cap of $661.19 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.88 and a beta of 0.74.

Esquire Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 15th. Esquire Financial’s payout ratio is currently 12.07%.

Esquire Financial Company Profile

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.