Lab Grown Diamonds Biggest Disruptor in the
Ladies and Gentlemen in Pawnland!
Here is another interesting piece I pulled off the wire today. I agree with most of what the article has to say, with the exception about the NPA’s whole hearted support for Pawn Stars.
I do concur the program has been benefical for our industry, but having mystery shopped the store and the operation msyelf, I have to tell you it is NOT a shining image of the industry today. There are many souls that have worked a lifetime in our industry to improve our image. When I saw the tattoed covered, Chumlee on the cover of the NPA magazine with his skull and bones T-Shirt on, mirrored glasses and the ball cap with frizzly hair portraying this as the IMAGE of the industry today .. I almost vomited .. how deplorable of an image, even as much as I do laugh at his character and his role on the show, which I have to admit I have rarely seen.
So, this is TV and the this is the world in which we live, on another note, here is an interesting piece about the rising valuations of the publicly traded company stocks, the only goodness being seen in a world certain with economic doom and gloom, hope you enjoy the read!
Pawn Stocks Rise Faster Than ‘Pawn Stars’ TV Ratings
Published: Wednesday, 12 Oct 2011 | 11:32 AM ET
Text Size 
By: Chris Stuart
Director of Research
Director of Research
Whether you admit it publicly, you’ve probably seen “Pawn Stars,” the second-highest-rated reality show on TV. The show, which chronicles the daily doings at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop of Las Vegas, is a guilty pleasure.
Obsessed fans of the show are lining up outside the store to get a glimpse of their favorite character, whether it’s Chumlee or The Old Man, with up to 4,000 people visiting every day.
The Pawn Stars guys are making it big. They’re likable, funny and full of useless knowledge.
And the pawn industry — namely the National Pawnbroker’s Association — is supporting the show, having awarded Rick Harrison and staff “The Pawnbroker of the Year Award 2010” for “dramatically improving the image of the modern-day pawnbroker.”
But can an everyday pawn broker, unsupported by a major television show, be a profitable investment? The answer is a resounding yes.
A tight credit market and a bumbling economy have led to big returns for the three publicly traded U.S. pawn shops.
EZCorp [EZPW 28.85 
-0.45 (-1.54%) 
] has risen 12 percent this year, First Cash Financial Services [FCFS 43.72 
0.44 (+1.02%) ] has increased 40 percent and Cash America International [CSH 56.64 -0.55 (-0.96%) ] has soared 48 percent.
So how does the pawn business work? A customer in need of quick cash delivers an item for pawn. The store loans the customer an amount at a value of roughly 60 percent of the item’s estimated resale value.
For the term of the loan, the customer pays a monthly fee (an average of 15 percent to 20 percent) or is forced to forfeit property. If the customer doesn’t pay back the loan, the pawn shop sells the item, making back 40 percent in margin on a sale.
Yes, it’s a highly profitable business.
You’ll notice that all of the publicly traded pawn shops have diversified operations in the name of loan and credit services. Most of the financing in this segment is done in the form of short-term payday loans, which is riskier.
TheStreet Ratings maintains a “buy” rating on all three stocks in the group.
Here’s a rundown of the stocks and some insights into the companies:
EZCorp
EZCorp operates pawn shops and financial-services stores in the U.S. and Mexico. It derives about 80 percent of its revenue from pawn shops, with the rest from payday and short-term loans.
The stock has been a big moneymaker over the past two years, more than doubling, yet has lagged its competitors this year.
While business in the U.S. has been successful, future growth for EZCorp will likely be driven by expansion in Mexico.
Stricter U.S. government regulations on payday loans (which account for roughly 25 percent of revenue) has led EZCorp, along with its rivals, to look for alternatives outside the country.
Millions of Mexican consumers lack access to credit. Therefore, pawn shops and payday-lending services have become commonplace throughout the country. EZCorp’s Mexican customers pay an average of 20 percent in monthly service charges for a pawn loan.
That’s astronomical, but for someone without options and the need for immediate cash, it’s a non-issue.
The StreetRatings 12-Month Price Target: $38.20 (26 percent potential upside)
Rated “A- (buy)” by TheStreet Ratings: EZCorp’s strengths are robust revenue growth, a largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, an impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and good cash flow from operations.
The company has grown revenue an annualized 23 percent over the past three years and has managed to increase sales and net income at a faster pace than industry competitors.
With pawn volumes up and margins improving, management has forecast 30 percent growth for this year. Revenue growth within EZPW’s Mexican pawn segment has been the big story, with 87 percent growth in the most recent quarter versus 17 percent for the U.S. EZCorp is liquid.
What’s more, its price-to-earnings ratio is a discount to its consumer-finance peers and is on par with the S&P 500.
First Cash Financial Services
First Cash Financial Services operates pawn and consumer-finance stores in the U.S. and Mexico.
FCFS has a major presence in Mexico, with 423 stores, accounting for 57 percent of total revenue. Mexico will also be a source for future growth — management has noted that 80 percent of store openings will be in the U.S.’s southern neighbor.
If you’re looking for the purest pawn-store play, First Cash is your best bet. FCFS has the smallest payday-loan segment among the group, at 10 percent.
The StreetRatings 12-Month Price Target: $56.30 (30 percent potential upside)
Rated “A (buy)” by TheStreet Ratings: First Cash has increased sales and net income significantly, outpacing the average growth rates of competitors. FCFS improved earnings per share by 45.5 percent in the most recent quarter from a year earlier. The company is also extremely liquid.
But with a P/E ratio of 19, the stock trades at a premium to its peers (CSH and EZPW each trade at 13 times earnings), which is likely warranted, given the strong growth outside the U.S. and its higher share of pawn operations.
Cash America International
Cash America International does business in the U.S. and Mexico. The company operates in two segments, retail services (pawn and payday lending) and ecommerce (which includes Internet lending activities and online gold buying).
CSH derives about 65 percent of its revenue from pawn operations, with the remainder from U.S. and international payday lending.
The company recently announced plans for an initial public offering of a majority ownership of its online lending arm, Enova International. With the company retaining a 35 percent to 49 percent stake, this could be a solid catalyst for the stock.
The StreetRatings 12-Month Price Target: $69.13 (27 percent potential upside)
Rated “B+ (buy)” by TheStreet Ratings: Cash America improved earnings per share by 27.3 percent in the most recent quarter, demonstrating a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. This trend should continue.
During the past fiscal year, CSH earned $3.67, up from $3.15 a year earlier. Revenue growth has been strong in both segments, with pawn operations up 18 percent and loan operations up 14 percent.
Like its competitors, CSH is extremely liquid, and Cash America’s P/E ratio indicates a discount to its peers and a value on par with the Standard & Poor’s 500.
Sincerely –
Jerry Whitehead
Pawn Shop Consulting Group, Inc.
954-540-3697
www.pawnshopconsultinggroup.com
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