Royce & Associates LP Acquires 3,227 Shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD)

Key Points

• Royce & Associates LP significantly increased its stake in World Acceptance Corporation by 37.8%, owning 11,762 shares after acquiring an additional 3,227 shares in the first quarter.
• World Acceptance reported a miss in earnings for the most recent quarter, with EPS of $0.25 compared to analysts' expectations of $2.44, despite achieving revenue of $132.45 million.
• Wall Street analysts have downgraded World Acceptance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating, indicating a cautious outlook on the stock's performance.

Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD - Free Report) by 37.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,762 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 3,227 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 0.20% of World Acceptance worth $1,488,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WRLD. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in World Acceptance by 84,803.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 46,697 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $5,910,000 after purchasing an additional 46,642 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in World Acceptance in the fourth quarter valued at $1,878,000. Voleon Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in World Acceptance in the fourth quarter valued at $1,728,000. Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC acquired a new stake in World Acceptance in the fourth quarter valued at $1,082,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in World Acceptance by 42.2% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 30,968 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $3,482,000 after acquiring an additional 9,194 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.63% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of World Acceptance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 1,010 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $151,500.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 10,315 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,547,250. This represents a 8.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Daniel Clinton Dyer sold 4,704 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.50, for a total transaction of $750,288.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 42,714 shares in the company, valued at $6,812,883. The trade was a 9.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 8,264 shares of company stock valued at $1,299,163 over the last ninety days. 41.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

WRLD stock traded down $2.82 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $154.50. The stock had a trading volume of 25,495 shares, compared to its average volume of 37,845. The stock has a market capitalization of $841.56 million, a PE ratio of 10.44 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 17.83 and a quick ratio of 19.32. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $161.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $142.52. World Acceptance Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $101.85 and a fifty-two week high of $177.25.

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

About World Acceptance

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.