World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Stock Lifted to Hold by Zacks Research
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemZacks Research upgraded shares of World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD – Free Report) to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Zacks reports.
WRLD has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen lowered World Acceptance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, World Acceptance has an average rating of “Hold”.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on World Acceptance
World Acceptance Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:WRLD opened at $176.96 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $184.45 and a 200 day moving average of $172.64. The company has a current ratio of 13.49, a quick ratio of 13.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The stock has a market cap of $824.63 million, a P/E ratio of 20.92 and a beta of 1.17. World Acceptance has a 12 month low of $110.00 and a 12 month high of $227.68.
World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $1.54. The company had revenue of $127.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $143.90 million. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 12.13% and a net margin of 6.71%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that World Acceptance will post 13.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, SVP Jason E. Childers sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.74, for a total transaction of $381,480.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 12,799 shares in the company, valued at $2,441,281.26. This represents a 13.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.00, for a total transaction of $372,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 48,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,990,124. The trade was a 3.97% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 137,199 shares of company stock worth $25,753,600 in the last ninety days. 38.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Acceptance
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in World Acceptance by 4.9% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 48,800 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,590,000 after purchasing an additional 2,300 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in World Acceptance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,577,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of World Acceptance by 97.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 20,545 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,774,000 after buying an additional 10,140 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 8.2% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 13,218 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,785,000 after buying an additional 1,004 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 82.5% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 7,004 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,568,000 after buying an additional 3,166 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.
About World Acceptance
World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) is a consumer finance company that provides small, short-term installment loans to individuals, primarily serving consumers who may have limited access to traditional forms of credit. The company operates through a network of branch offices and digital channels.
Its products and services generally include personal installment loans, related credit insurance and other ancillary offerings. World Acceptance has also provided tax return preparation and electronic filing services in some of its markets.
Founded in 1962 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, World Acceptance primarily serves customers in selected regions of the United States, including parts of the Southeast, Southwest and Midwest.