EZCORP Inc.'s stock surged 8.38% in after-hours trading following the release of its first-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results.

The significant price movement is directly attributed to the company reporting earnings and revenue that substantially exceeded analyst expectations. EZCORP posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.55, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by 33.5%. Quarterly sales reached $382.019 million, surpassing estimates of $359.041 million by 6.4%. Furthermore, adjusted EBITDA came in at $70.3 million, well above the $55 million estimate.

Key drivers of the strong performance included a 14% rise in pawn loan balances, a 139% surge in jewelry scrap sales benefiting from higher gold prices, and store expansion. The company's segment contribution also saw a notable 30% year-over-year increase to $93.66 million.