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ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ)

Financials · regional banking · NASDAQ

A specialized commercial bank providing tailored financial services to the legal industry alongside a robust payment processing business.

What ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC does

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. is a bank holding company that operates primarily through its subsidiary, Esquire Bank, N.A. The company provides a range of commercial banking products and services, with a specialized focus on the legal industry, litigation finance, and payment processing services for merchants and independent sales organizations.

Themes: legal industry services, litigation finance, payment processing, commercial banking

Fundamentals

  • Price$118.06 as of 2026-10-08 close
  • Market cap$1.0B as of 2026-05-01 (share count; price 2026-10-08)
  • 1-year return+13.6% 2025-10-08 close $103.95 → 2026-10-08 close $118.06
  • P/E19.50 as of 2026-10-08
  • ROE+17.5% FY2025, SEC XBRL
  • Debt / equity0.00 as of 2026-09-03
  • Revenue growth (YoY)+58.5% as of 2026-09-03
  • Beta0.63 as of 2026-09-03
  • Last reported earnings2026-07-23 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)

Dividend: yield +0.6%; at least 4 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer.

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How ESQ compares in its sector

  • price-to-earnings ratiotop 25% 513 covered Financials peers, as of 2026-10-08
  • return on equitytop 25% 559 covered Financials peers, as of 2026-09-03
  • indicated dividend yieldbottom 10% 468 covered Financials peers, as of 2026-09-03
  • free cash flow (absolute dollars, latest fiscal year)middle range 430 covered Financials peers, as of FY2025

Position among covered Financials companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.

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Dividend coverage (FY2025)

Covered by reported results. In FY2025, ESQ's dividend was covered by reported results (earnings payout 12%, free-cash-flow payout 10%). This describes past coverage, not a forecast.

  • Earnings payout12% dividends / net income
  • Free-cash-flow payout10% dividends / (operating cash flow − capex)

Coverage derived from reported SEC EDGAR XBRL figures for FY2025 (dividends paid vs. net income and free cash flow, same fiscal year). This describes PAST coverage for one fiscal year — it does not predict whether a dividend will be maintained, raised, or cut, and a one-year payout ratio can be distorted by non-recurring items. Informational only — not financial advice.

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How ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC looks technically

ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) is trading 4.5% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend. Its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 557 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal. There is no clear trend right now — the price is choppy (ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 15, below the 25 that marks a real trend). Momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 47, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30). MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bearish about 8 trading days ago (its momentum flipped negative). It made a new 20-day low about 2 trading days ago. Day-to-day price swings are unusually narrow versus its own recent history — a "Bollinger squeeze" (in the tightest 4% of the past ~6 months), which often precedes a bigger move.

Trend

8
Distance from the 200-dayit is trading 4.5% above its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a longer-term uptrend+4.5%
50-day moving averageits average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $121.17$121.17
200-day moving averageits average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $113.02$113.02
Swing structureeach recent peak has been lower than the one before it and each dip deeper — the pattern chart-watchers call a downtrend, which describes where price has already been and not where it goes nextlower highs and lower lows
Last swing turnits last significant turn was a swing high 13 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on13 sessions
Wave structureits recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 3 of five; the labelling fails if price closes above 126.158. It is one of several labellings that fit, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. The same swings also read as a three-part correction in leg C.possible downward five-wave sequence, in wave 3 (one of several readings)
Since the 50/200 crossits 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 557 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal557 sessions
Trend strength (14-day ADX)there is no clear trend right now — the price is choppy (ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 15, below the 25 that marks a real trend)15.2

Momentum

3
14-day RSImomentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 47, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30)47.3
Position in its 14-day rangeit is trading in the lower half of its 14-day range ($113.53 to $126.16) — its "stochastic" reading is 36 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions.35.9
Since the MACD crossed zeroMACD, a trend-momentum gauge, turned bearish about 8 trading days ago (its momentum flipped negative)8 sessions

Range

12
52-week highits highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $134.81$134.81
From the 52-week highit is 12.4% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year)-12.4%
Above the 52-week lowit is 28.2% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year)+28.2%
Below the 52-week highit is 12.4% below its highest point of the past year12.4%
Since a 20-day breakoutit made a new 20-day low about 2 trading days ago2 sessions
Since a 55-day breakoutit made a new 55-day low about 27 trading days ago27 sessions
All-time highits highest closing price on record is $134.81 (set on 2026-01-13)$134.81
Given back of the 52-week moveover the past year its closes ranged ($92.91 to $132.92), and it has given back roughly a third of its rise from last year’s low — 37% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $106.91 to $108.19. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast.37.1%
From the all-time highit is 12.4% below its all-time high-12.4%
Nearest price levelit is trading 0.8% below a resistance level at $119.00 — a price it turned at three times since 2026-02-04, most recently on 2026-06-15. Since 2024-10-08 it has 15 such levels below the current price and 3 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go.+0.8%
All-time lowits lowest closing price on record is $10.83 (set on 2020-05-14)$10.83
Above the all-time lowit is 990.1% above its all-time low+990.1%

Volatility

5
Band width vs its own 6 monthsday-to-day price swings are unusually narrow versus its own recent history — a "Bollinger squeeze" (in the tightest 4% of the past ~6 months), which often precedes a bigger move4th percentile
Typical daily rangein a typical session it travels about $3.36 between its high and its low — about 2.8% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was$3.36
Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ)most of its recent trading has stayed between about $115.30 and $124.71 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles$115.30 – $120.00 – $124.71
Typical daily range (% of price)its price moves about 2.8% in a typical session — calmer than most companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price2.8%
Stretch from the 200-day averageit is trading 1.5 daily ranges above its 200-day average price (4.5% above it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale1.5 daily ranges above its 200-day average

Volume

1
Volume vs its 30-day averagetrading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average0.60×

Analyst

2
Change in the average price targetanalysts have raised their average price target by 3.1% since the prior reading+3.1%
Change in the consensus ratingnot available for this company yetn/a

Candlestick patterns

1
Since a bearish engulfing3 sessions ago it opened above the previous session's close and finished below that session's open — a "bearish engulfing" pair, where one down day more than undid the up day before it3 sessions ago

Price gaps

2
Gap at the openit opened on 2026-10-08 at essentially the same price it closed at the session before — no meaningful overnight gap-0.0%
Gap filleda 2.6% gap down opened on 2026-07-23 has been "filled" 53 sessions ago — price traded back through the level the gap left behind, and it took 1 session to close53 sessions ago

Price streaks

1
Closing streakit closed higher in its latest session, after a session that did not close higher — a single up day rather than a run1 session up

Relative strength

4
vs market, 1 monthover the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 1.2 percentage points (the stock lost 0.2% while the market gained 1.0%)-1.2%
vs market, 3 monthsover the past 3 months this stock lagged the market by 3.4 percentage points (the stock gained 0.4% while the market gained 3.8%)-3.4%
vs market, 6 monthsover the past 6 months this stock lagged the market by 9.5 percentage points (the stock gained 7.9% while the market gained 17.5%)-9.5%
vs market, 12 monthsover the past 12 months this stock lagged the market by 1.4 percentage points (the stock gained 13.6% while the market gained 15.0%)-1.4%

Signal agreement

2
Bullish technical signals2 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bullish state: a "golden cross" — its 50-day average is above its 200-day, trading above its 200-day average — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast2 of 9
Bearish technical signals4 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state: a fresh 20-day low, MACD momentum is negative, lagging the market over 6 months, trading below the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast4 of 9

Trend (Ichimoku cloud)

1
Vs the Ichimoku cloudtrading 0.1% below the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-09-01 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established downtrend, with the band above acting as the level that would have to be cleared. The band itself is moderate, spanning 3.6% of the share price.-0.1%

Volume-weighted price

2
Vs this year’s average price paidthe price is 2% above the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is showing a gain. That average is $115.32 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 190 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP.+2.4%
Vs the average paid since it last reportedthe price is 3% below the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-07-23 (its 8-K), so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $121.34 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 55 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP.-2.7%

Head and shoulders, bearish — forming · entry $107.42 · 59 sessions in

Price levels it has turned at before

ESQ last closed at $118.06 on 2026-10-08. Since 2024-10-08 it has turned at 15 prices below its last close and 3 above; the 3 nearest below and the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.

LevelSideDistanceEvidence
$119.00Resistance0.8% above the last closeturned there three times · 2026-02-04 to 2026-06-15
$116.56Support1.3% below the last closeturned there twice · 2026-04-09 to 2026-07-10
$113.71Support3.7% below the last closeturned there four times · 2026-01-23 to 2026-07-23
$110.67Support6.3% below the last closeturned there four times · 2025-12-22 to 2026-09-01
$125.65Resistance6.4% above the last closeturned there three times · 2026-07-02 to 2026-09-25
$134.50Resistance13.9% above the last closeturned there three times · 2026-01-13 to 2026-08-13

A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.

Wave structure

Its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 3 of five.

This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes above $126.16.

This is one of several labellings that fit the same swings, so treat it as a reading rather than the reading. It was chosen from 2 labellings that survived the rules, counting shorter readings of the same bars.

On past moves of this shape the leg has usually ended somewhere between $86.73 and $101.79 — that is where it has tended to end if the count holds, not a forecast of where the price goes.

Alternate reading: The same swings also read as a three-part correction in leg C, which fails on a close above $126.16.

This reading has stood for 9 trading days, since 2026-09-28.

Read from daily closes as of 2026-10-08.

An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.

Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-10-08. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.

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Analyst consensus

  • Consensus ratingBuy (2.00 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 3 analysts
  • Mean price target$134.00 range $125.00 – $140.00; median $137.00

Analyst estimates, as of 2026-10-08. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.

Analyst EPS estimate for ESQ

  • Consensus EPS estimate$1.89 next reporting period, as of 2026-10-08
  • Estimate change, 30 days+$0.08 (+4.4%) from $1.81, on 2026-09-03, 35-day window
  • Readings revised upward22% of 9 comparable readings

The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.

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Key risks (from latest filing)

["High concentration of loans and deposits dependent upon the legal and litigation market.","Risks associated with managing and operating a payment processing business.","Interest rate fluctuations impacting net interest margin and profitability."]

See ESQ's biggest risks from its latest 10-Q →

What changed in the latest 10-Q

AI-assisted comparison of ESQ's 10-Q filed 2026-08-10 against the prior one filed 2026-05-11.

Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)

  • Added:
    • Newer filing (2026-08-10) adds: 'the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the Merger will not be realized when expected or at all, including as a result of the impact of, or problems arising from, the integration of the two companies or as a result of the strength of the economy and competitive factors in the areas where we do business;'
    • Newer filing (2026-08-10) adds: 'the possibility that we may be unable to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies in the Merger within the expected timeframes or at all and to successfully integrate Signature's operations with our operations, and that such integration may be more difficult, time consuming or costly than expected;'
    • Newer filing (2026-08-10) adds: 'revenues following the Merger may be lower than expected;'
  • Removed:
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) removed: 'the impact of a potential federal government shutdown;'
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) removed: 'our ability to successfully complete our merger with Signature Bancorporation, Inc. ("Signature") by receiving shareholder and regulatory approvals and integrate into our operations Signature's assets, liabilities or systems we acquired, as well as new management personnel or customers, and our ability to realize related revenue synergies and cost savings within expected time frames and any goodwill charges related thereto;'
  • Reworded:
    • Newer filing (2026-08-10) changed the MD&A period from 'financial condition at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 and results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025' to 'financial condition at June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025 and results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025.'
    • The closing sentence of the forward-looking factors section differs between filings: newer (2026-08-10) reads 'The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with other cautionary statements that are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Decem' (truncated in provided text), while older (2026-05-11) reads 'The foregoing factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with other cautionary statements that are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as supplemented by subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorr' (truncated in provided text).
  • Notes:
    • Both provided texts are truncated at the end, so changes occurring after the cut-off point cannot be assessed.
    • The older filing contains a risk factor about 'the impact of a potential federal government shutdown' that is not present in the newer filing; this is reported as a removal based on the provided excerpts.

Risk Factors

  • Added:
    • Newer filing (2026-08-10) states there have been no material changes in the risk factors previously disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as supplemented by its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026.
  • Removed:
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) included a supplemental risk factor titled 'The Company is expected to incur substantial costs related to the merger and integration.'
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) included a supplemental risk factor titled 'Combining the Company and Signature may be more difficult, costly or time-consuming than expected, and the Company may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger.'
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) included a supplemental risk factor titled 'The combined company may be unable to retain the Company and/or Signature personnel successfully after the merger is completed.'
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) included a supplemental risk factor titled 'Regulatory approvals may not be received, may take longer than expected, or may impose conditions that are not presently anticipated or that could have an adverse effect on the combined company following the merger.'
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) included a supplemental risk factor titled 'The merger agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms and the merger may not be completed.'
  • Reworded:
    • Older filing (2026-05-11) disclosed specific supplemental risk factors relating to a merger with Signature. Newer filing (2026-08-10) replaced this content with a statement that there have been no material changes in risk factors.

AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.

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Insider activity (SEC Form 4)

0 open-market purchases and 2 open-market sales by insiders in the last 90 days, of which we have read Form 4 filings through 2026-10-05. The 4 days since 2026-10-05 have not been checked yet.

  • Last 30 days · read to 2026-10-050 buys · 1 sell ($1M) — 1 selling insider
  • Last 90 days · read to 2026-10-050 buys · 2 sells ($2M) — 2 selling insiders
  • Last 180 days · read to 2026-10-050 buys · 2 sells ($2M) — 2 selling insiders

Activity heuristic: net selling (a transparent product heuristic from the counts above, not a prediction or advice)

Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-09-18. Based on Form 4 filings read through 2026-10-05; anything filed since is not yet included.

View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filings

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Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.

Institutional ownership (13F)

5 institutional 13F filers reported holding ESQ as of 2026-06-30 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).

  • Distinct 13F filers 5
  • Reported shares held 1,089,521
  • Reported value $129,772,842

reported quarterly holdings change (2026-03-31 → 2026-06-30): 1 new, 3 increased, 1 decreased, 0 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".

Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.

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Short interest (FINRA)

ESQ had 1,017,061 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).

ESQ had 11.8% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 5.73 days to cover at the same settlement.

  • Reported short interest (shares) 1,017,061
  • Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 11.8%
  • Prior settlement (shares) 853,384
  • Reported change 19.18%
  • Days to cover (reported) 5.73

Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-09-15 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.

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Competitors & peers

AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.

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Frequently asked questions

What does ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) do?

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. is a bank holding company that operates primarily through its subsidiary, Esquire Bank, N.A. The company provides a range of commercial banking products and services, with a specialized focus on the legal industry, litigation finance, and payment processing services for merchants and independent sales organizations.

What sector is ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) in?

ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) is classified in the Financials sector. Its industry is regional banking. It trades on NASDAQ.

Does ESQ pay a dividend?

Yes — ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) pays a dividend, with an indicated yield of about 0.65% and at least 4 years of non-decreasing per-share dividends (SEC EDGAR XBRL) — we do not hold the year before it, so the real streak may be longer (market data, as of 2026-09-03). Informational only — not financial advice.

Who are ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC's (ESQ) competitors?

Notable peers of ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) include New York Community Bancorp, ConnectOne Bancorp, Sterling Bancorp and Customers Bancorp. This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.

Is ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) overbought or oversold right now?

ESQUIRE FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC (ESQ) is currently neither overbought nor oversold — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 47, in the neutral middle (as of 2026-10-08). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.

Where does stocks-llm's data on ESQ come from?

Fundamentals come from SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest; prices are market data, as of 2026-09-03; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.

Fundamentals: SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.

Last updated 2026-10-08.

Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.