World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Down 4.3%

Shares of WRLD opened at $195.83 on Friday. World Acceptance has a 52-week low of $110.00 and a 52-week high of $227.68. The company has a market capitalization of $912.57 million, a PE ratio of 23.15 and a beta of 1.13. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $184.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $154.35. The company has a quick ratio of 22.99, a current ratio of 13.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $1.54. World Acceptance had a net margin of 6.71% and a return on equity of 12.13%. The firm had revenue of $139.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $143.90 million.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 609 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.00, for a total transaction of $110,229.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 14,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,657,442. This represents a 3.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Benjamin E. Robinson III sold 2,031 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.77, for a total transaction of $452,445.87. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,077,315.72. This trade represents a 29.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 5,576 shares of company stock worth $1,149,890. Company insiders own 38.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WRLD. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in World Acceptance by 102.4% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 255 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in World Acceptance by 241.2% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 331 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in World Acceptance by 103.2% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 569 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in World Acceptance by 15.4% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 548 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $123,000 after purchasing an additional 73 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 headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1972, the company provides credit solutions to underserved customers who may have limited access to traditional banking services. Over the decades, World Acceptance has built a reputation for tailored lending that emphasizes responsible underwriting and personalized customer service.

The company’s core product offerings include short-term installment loans designed to meet the immediate financial needs of its clients.