Ezcorp to pay $600,000 to settle suit

Pawn broker Ezcorp Inc. said Monday it will pay $600,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the Texas Attorney General's office that claimed the company did not adequately protect consumers' private information.

The company said it "disputed and vigorously challenged" the claims in the suit but decided to settle the case rather than "pursue costly litigation."

Ezcorp Chief Executive Joe Rotunda said no customer was harmed and the company has "strong identity protection policies in place, including a state-of-the-art 'paperless' document system, written document retention policies and regular audits prior to the Attorney General's lawsuit."

Rotunda added it should still be able to meet its profit guidance for 21 cents per share for the quarter.

The company's guidance matches the expectations of Wall Street analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

Ezcorp shares rose 8 cents to $13.35 in electronic after-hours trading. During regular trading, the stock fell 21 cents to close at $13.27.