Insider Trading March 20, 2026

Esquire Financial Director Executes $3.18M Sale; Company Advances Signature Bancorporation Deal

Insider disposals coincide with a major stock-for-stock acquisition that will materially expand Esquire’s asset base

By Nina Shah ESQ
Esquire Financial Director Executes $3.18M Sale; Company Advances Signature Bancorporation Deal
ESQ

Esquire Financial Holdings director Zises Selig sold 27,000 shares of the company on March 18 and 19, 2026, in transactions totaling $3.18 million. The stock sale came as the bank announced a stock-only acquisition of Signature Bancorporation valued at about $348.4 million, a deal expected to close in the third quarter of 2026. Raymond James has upgraded Esquire’s rating in response to the transaction.

Key Points

  • Insider transaction: Director Zises Selig sold 27,000 Esquire shares on March 18-19, 2026, for a total of $3.18 million at prices between $105.00 and $107.2554.
  • Acquisition: Esquire announced a stock-only purchase of Signature Bancorporation valued at about $348.4 million, with Signature shareholders to receive 2.63 Esquire shares per Signature share; closing expected in Q3 2026.
  • Market response: Esquire shares trade at $105.29 (up 46% over the past year); Raymond James upgraded the stock to Strong Buy with a $125.00 target.

Director Zises Selig of Esquire Financial Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: ESQ) reported the disposition of 27,000 shares of common stock on March 18 and March 19, 2026, according to a Form 4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares were sold at per-share prices ranging from $105.00 to $107.2554, with the aggregate proceeds from the sales totaling $3.18 million.

The reported sales on March 18 included an initial block of 8,500 shares and subsequent sales comprising 2,000 shares, 1,500 shares and 3,000 shares. On March 19 an additional sale of 3,000 shares was recorded. The Form 4 indicates that the shares sold were held in a profit sharing plan and in a trust.

Following these transactions, Selig's indirect holdings through a trust stand at 63,533 shares, and the profit sharing plan retains 6,501 shares. In addition to those indirect holdings, Selig directly owns 15,716 shares of Esquire Financial common stock.

Esquire’s stock closed at $105.29 following the filings. That price represents a 46% increase for the shares over the past 12 months. The filing notes that InvestingPro analysis considers the shares to be slightly overvalued at current levels.


Separately, Esquire Financial announced a planned acquisition of Signature Bancorporation in a transaction valued at approximately $348.4 million. The deal will be executed entirely in Esquire common stock, with Signature shareholders slated to receive 2.63 shares of Esquire for each Signature share they hold, subject to certain adjustments.

The transaction is anticipated to close in the third quarter of 2026 and will markedly expand Esquire’s asset base. Signature Bancorporation, a Chicago-based bank, brings roughly $2.0 billion in assets to the combined company, an amount that represents about 85% of Esquire’s total assets as reported in the announcement. The exchange ratio for the stock consideration may be adjusted based on the sale of certain loans by Signature, valued at around $70 million.

In response to the acquisition announcement, Raymond James revised its view on Esquire’s shares, upgrading the rating to Strong Buy from Market Perform and establishing a $125.00 price target. The firm cited the strategic benefits of the planned combination in its decision to raise the recommendation.


These developments - an insider sale and a material stock-based acquisition - were recorded concurrently in public filings and company disclosure. The filings document changes in insider ownership positions, the terms and anticipated timing of the Signature acquisition, and a third-party analyst upgrade and price target change.

Risks

  • Valuation risk: InvestingPro analysis characterizes Esquire shares as slightly overvalued at current levels, posing potential market valuation risk for investors in the financial sector.
  • Deal adjustment uncertainty: The exchange ratio for the Signature transaction may be adjusted if Signature sells certain loans valued at around $70 million, introducing variability to the final consideration.
  • Transaction completion timing: The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, and the timing and execution of the closing remain subject to the completion of required steps and adjustments.

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