Wall Street Zen Upgrades Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) to Buy

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Friday.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on CASH. Weiss Ratings downgraded Pathward Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Pathward Financial from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $97.00.

Pathward Financial Stock Up 7.3%

Pathward Financial stock opened at $85.72 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.74. Pathward Financial has a 52-week low of $64.45 and a 52-week high of $86.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $73.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.58.

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The savings and loans company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.19. Pathward Financial had a net margin of 22.95% and a return on equity of 22.92%. The company had revenue of $173.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $185.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.29 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. Pathward Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-9.050 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Pathward Financial will post 7.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Pathward Financial news, Director Douglas J. Hajek sold 3,000 shares of Pathward Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.11, for a total transaction of $204,330.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,132,737.41. This trade represents a 15.28% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pathward Financial

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pathward Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $267,437,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Pathward Financial by 21.2% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,057 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $369,000 after buying an additional 886 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Pathward Financial by 61.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 9,152 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $668,000 after buying an additional 3,479 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Pathward Financial by 264.1% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 128,645 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $9,385,000 after buying an additional 93,308 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sheets Smith Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Pathward Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at $276,000. 92.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Pathward Financial

Here are the key news stories impacting Pathward Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and net income growth — Pathward reported $1.57 GAAP EPS (vs. $1.38 consensus) and net income of $35.2M, improving year-over-year EPS and showing strong margins/ROE, which supports valuation re-rating. Pathward Financial (CASH) Surpasses Q1 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY2026 guidance raised — management updated FY2026 EPS guidance to $8.55–$9.05 (above prior consensus ~$8.45), which signals confidence in margins and earnings power for the year. Pathward Financial raises 2026 EPS guidance to $8.55-$9.05 while expanding partner pipeline
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher price target — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded CASH to “Outperform” with a $100 target (~16.7% above the prior price), providing third‑party validation that may drive additional buying. Finviz
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials available — the company posted its press release, slide deck and full earnings call/transcript for review, giving investors more detail on drivers (partner pipeline, margin dynamics). Pathward Financial, Inc. Announces Results for 2026 Fiscal First Quarter Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates and was roughly flat year-over-year — Q1 revenue was $173.1M vs. ~$185.8M expected and was down 0.2% YoY, which introduces execution risk on top-line growth despite the EPS beat. Pathward Financial beats Q1 earnings estimates, revenue falls short

Pathward Financial Company Profile

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) is a U.S.-based financial services company that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pathward Bank. The company provides a range of banking and payment solutions designed for consumers, small businesses, community banks and fintech partners. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, debit and prepaid card programs, digital banking platforms and treasury management services.

Through its banking charter, Pathward Financial delivers customizable payment solutions, including prepaid cards, payroll cards and benefit disbursement programs.