Sezzle (NASDAQ:SEZL) Stock Price Up 7.2% – Here’s Why

Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL)’s share price rose 7.2% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $273.58 and last traded at $262.93. Approximately 42,533 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 64% from the average daily volume of 119,801 shares. The stock had previously closed at $245.19.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SEZL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating and set a $372.00 price objective (up previously from $353.00) on shares of Sezzle in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Northland Securities lifted their price target on shares of Sezzle from $300.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 19th.

Sezzle Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 2.40 and a quick ratio of 2.40. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $273.48 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $220.39. The stock has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.45 and a beta of 9.58.

Sezzle (NASDAQ:SEZL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $2.03. Sezzle had a net margin of 25.29% and a return on equity of 101.18%. The company had revenue of $69.96 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $52.64 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.23 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Sezzle Inc. will post 9.85 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Paul Paradis sold 4,026 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total transaction of $1,610,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 68,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,538,400. The trade was a 5.52 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul Martin Purcell sold 1,280 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $376.26, for a total transaction of $481,612.80. Following the transaction, the director now owns 81,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $30,663,684.96. The trade was a 1.55 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 11,164 shares of company stock worth $4,303,725 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 57.65% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sezzle

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Plato Investment Management Ltd acquired a new position in Sezzle during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Covestor Ltd acquired a new position in Sezzle during the third quarter worth $38,000. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sezzle in the fourth quarter valued at $80,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Sezzle in the fourth quarter valued at $84,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of Sezzle in the fourth quarter valued at $207,000. 2.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Sezzle

Sezzle Inc operates as a technology-enabled payments company primarily in the United States and Canada. The company provides payment solution in-store and at online retail stores; and through proprietary payments solution that connects consumers with merchants. It also offers Sezzle Platform that provides a payments solution for consumers that extends credit at the point-of-sale allowing consumers to purchase and receive the ordered merchandise at the time of sale while paying in installments over time; Pay-in-Four, which allows consumers to pay a fourth of the purchase price up front and then another fourth of the purchase price every two weeks thereafter over a total of six weeks; Pay-in-Full that allows consumers to pay for the full value of their order up-front through the Sezzle Platform without the extension of credit; and Pay-in-Two and other alternative installment options, which allow consumer to pay half of the value of their order up-front and the second half in two weeks.