EZCORP Acquires Controlling Stake in Founders One Pawn Network

EZCORP ( (EZPW) ) has issued an announcement.

On January 5, 2026, EZCORP announced that it had acquired a controlling interest in Founders One, LLC, which, through its Simple Management Group subsidiary, operates 105 pawn stores in the U.S. and 11 other countries under the La Familia Pawn and Jewelry and CashWiz brands, offering traditional pawn loans, buy/sell transactions, and in Puerto Rico, auto pawn and auto title loans. The deal, which closed on January 2, 2026, saw EZCORP convert $55 million of existing preferred equity and notes receivable into common equity, contribute an additional $9.4 million in cash, and establish a three-year senior secured debt facility of $156.4 million at 13% per annum to refinance Simple Management Group’s prior obligations, resulting in EZCORP holding 87.7% of Founders and consolidating its financial results; based on unaudited figures showing strong revenue and gross profit growth in 2024 versus 2023, this transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings, expand EZCORP’s geographic footprint in markets such as Florida and Puerto Rico, deepen its partnership with Founders’ management, and lift its total store count to 1,488 pawn locations across 16 countries.

The most recent analyst rating on (EZPW) stock is a Buy with a $23.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on EZCORP stock, see the EZPW Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on EZPW Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, EZPW is a Outperform.

EZCORP’s strong financial performance and successful expansion efforts are the most significant factors driving the score. Technical indicators suggest a strong upward trend, though caution is advised due to overbought signals. The company’s reasonable valuation and positive earnings call further support the stock’s potential.

To see Spark’s full report on EZPW stock, click here.

More about EZCORP

Formed in 1989, EZCORP, Inc. is a leading provider of pawn transactions in the United States and Latin America, offering pawn loans alongside the sale of pre-owned and recycled merchandise, primarily items forfeited from pawn lending or purchased from customers. The company focuses on serving consumers who are cash- and credit-constrained, emphasizing an industry-leading customer experience, and its shares trade on NASDAQ under the symbol EZPW as a constituent of the S&P 1000 and Nasdaq Composite indices.

Average Trading Volume: 927,979

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $1.22B

Learn more about EZPW stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.