World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Shares Break Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $174.50 and traded as high as $176.59. World Acceptance shares last traded at $172.33, with a volume of 49,858 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WRLD. Wall Street Zen cut World Acceptance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of World Acceptance to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Trading Down 0.4%

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $182.84 and its 200-day moving average is $174.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 13.49 and a quick ratio of 13.49. The company has a market capitalization of $799.84 million, a P/E ratio of 20.29 and a beta of 1.17.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last released its 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 analysts’ expectations of $143.90 million. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 12.13% and a net margin of 6.71%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that World Acceptance Corporation will post 13.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Prescott General Partners Llc sold 133,199 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.69, for a total value of $25,000,120.31. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 31,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,846,168.12. This represents a 81.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.00, for a total transaction of $372,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 48,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,990,124. The trade was a 3.97% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 137,199 shares of company stock worth $25,753,600. Insiders own 38.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WRLD. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in World Acceptance by 158.7% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 119 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position 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 worth $34,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in World Acceptance by 51.9% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 433 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in World Acceptance by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 606 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in World Acceptance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $184,000. 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.