World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Raised to Hold at Zacks Research

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research report on Monday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, World Acceptance currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Up 0.3%

World Acceptance stock opened at $145.32 on Monday. World Acceptance has a 52 week low of $104.99 and a 52 week high of $185.48. The stock has a market cap of $732.41 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 1.08. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $146.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $160.03. The company has a current ratio of 24.16, a quick ratio of 24.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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). The company had revenue of $120.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.85 million. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 13.65% and a net margin of 10.00%. On average, analysts expect that World Acceptance will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at World Acceptance

In related news, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total transaction of $149,210.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 54,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,116,277.95. This trade represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel Clinton Dyer sold 8,857 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.00, for a total transaction of $1,319,693.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 33,640 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,012,360. This trade represents a 20.84% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 9,946 shares of company stock valued at $1,482,253. Company insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WRLD. PDT Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 1.6% during the first quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 4,894 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $619,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in World Acceptance by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,044 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in World Acceptance by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 10,600 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,750,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its stake in World Acceptance by 2.9% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 3,480 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $575,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 4.6% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,637 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About World Acceptance

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.