Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Sells 19,268 Shares of World Acceptance Corporation $WRLD

Key Points

• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. reduced its holdings in World Acceptance Corporation by 34.9% during the 1st quarter, now owning 35,906 shares valued at $4.54 million.
• Director Ken R. Bramlett, Jr. sold 3,389 shares at an average price of $167.19, resulting in a 9.52% decrease in ownership.
• Price targets for World Acceptance have been lowered, with the stock now rated as a "hold" by analysts, and a consensus price target of $10.00.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD - Free Report) by 34.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,906 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 19,268 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. owned about 0.68% of World Acceptance worth $4,544,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 4.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,422 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,964,000 after buying an additional 925 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 4.0% during the first 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 in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 2.2% in the first quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 43,522 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,508,000 after purchasing an additional 925 shares in the last quarter. PDT Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 1.6% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance in the first quarter valued at approximately $308,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.63% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of World Acceptance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, World Acceptance has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $10.00.

Insider Activity at World Acceptance

In other news, Director Charles D. Way sold 402 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $64,320.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 15,395 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,463,200. This trade represents a 2.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ken R. Bramlett, Jr. sold 3,389 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.19, for a total transaction of $566,606.91. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 32,205 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,384,353.95. This represents a 9.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 356,559 shares of company stock valued at $61,548,969. 41.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

World Acceptance Trading Down 1.7%

WRLD stock traded down $2.99 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $172.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 149,478 shares, compared to its average volume of 36,137. World Acceptance Corporation has a 52 week low of $104.99 and a 52 week high of $177.25. The stock has a market cap of $938.16 million, a PE ratio of 11.62 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a quick ratio of 17.83, a current ratio of 17.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $166.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $150.47.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.44 by ($2.19). World Acceptance had a net margin of 14.29% and a return on equity of 18.95%. The business had revenue of $132.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $122.38 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 EPS for the current year.

World Acceptance Profile

World Acceptance Corporation engages in consumer finance business in the United States. The company provides short-term small installment loans, medium-term larger installment loans, related credit insurance, and ancillary products and services to individuals. It offers income tax return preparation and filing services; and automobile club memberships.