Zacks Research Upgrades World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) to “Hold”

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered World Acceptance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Monday, September 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

Shares of World Acceptance stock opened at $176.96 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 13.49, a current ratio of 13.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $824.63 million, a PE ratio of 20.92 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $184.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $172.64. World Acceptance has a 52 week low of $110.00 and a 52 week high of $227.68.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $1.54. The company had revenue of $127.79 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $143.90 million. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 12.13% and a net margin of 6.71%. Equities analysts anticipate that World Acceptance will post 13.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other World Acceptance news, insider John Calmes, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.00, for a total value of $372,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 48,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,990,124. This represents a 3.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jason Childers sold 2,000 shares of the business’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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 12,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,441,281.26. The trade was a 13.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 137,199 shares of company stock valued at $25,753,600 in the last ninety days. 38.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 4.9% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 48,800 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,590,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of World Acceptance during the second quarter valued at $4,577,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 97.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 20,545 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,774,000 after purchasing an additional 10,140 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in World Acceptance by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 13,218 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,785,000 after buying an additional 1,004 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its stake in World Acceptance by 82.5% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 7,004 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,568,000 after buying an additional 3,166 shares during the period. 83.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

World Acceptance Company Profile

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.