World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) to a hold rating in a research note published on Monday,Zacks reports.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on WRLD. Wall Street Zen cut World Acceptance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

NASDAQ WRLD opened at $176.44 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 13.49, a quick ratio of 13.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The business’s 50 day moving average is $184.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $172.94. World Acceptance has a 12-month low of $110.00 and a 12-month high of $227.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $822.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.86 and a beta of 1.17.

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

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In related news, SVP Jason E. Childers sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.74, for a total value of $381,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 12,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,441,281.26. This trade represents a 13.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on 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 directly 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 137,199 shares of company stock valued at $25,753,600 in the last quarter. 38.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance during the 2nd quarter worth about $4,577,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position 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 valued at $2,774,000 after buying an additional 10,140 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of World Acceptance during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,239,000. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new position in shares of World Acceptance during the first quarter valued at approximately $680,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 82.5% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 7,004 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,568,000 after buying an additional 3,166 shares during the period. 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.