World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

by · The Cerbat Gem

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD – Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 54,362 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 17% from the previous session’s volume of 46,269 shares.The stock last traded at $146.8820 and had previously closed at $145.66.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on WRLD shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of World Acceptance from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, World Acceptance has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Get Our Latest Report on World Acceptance

World Acceptance Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $747.84 million, a PE ratio of 14.20 and a beta of 1.08. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $150.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $160.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 24.16 and a current ratio of 24.16.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported ($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by ($2.25). World Acceptance had a net margin of 10.00% and a return on equity of 13.65%. The firm had revenue of $120.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.85 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at World Acceptance

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.33, for a total transaction of $167,330.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 16,515 shares in the company, valued at $2,763,454.95. This trade represents a 5.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 41.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of World Acceptance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in World Acceptance by 2.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 349,238 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $44,196,000 after acquiring an additional 7,429 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 85,622 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $14,482,000 after purchasing an additional 10,649 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 84,846 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $14,011,000 after purchasing an additional 4,869 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 63,120 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $10,676,000 after purchasing an additional 5,192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ingalls & Snyder LLC grew its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 53,171 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $8,780,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the period. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About World Acceptance

(Get Free Report)

World Acceptance Corporation engages in consumer finance business in the United States. The company provides short-term small installment loans, medium-term larger installment loans, related credit insurance, and ancillary products and services to individuals. It offers income tax return preparation and filing services; and automobile club memberships.

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