Insider Selling: World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Insider Sells 1,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: Director John Calmes Jr. sold 1,000 shares at an average of $141.88 ($141,880 total), trimming his stake by 1.95% to 50,334 shares valued at about $7.14M.
• Earnings miss and market reaction: World Acceptance reported an EPS of -$0.19 vs. $0.58 expected and revenue below estimates, and the stock fell ~3.1% to $135.15 on above-average volume.
• Institutional ownership and analyst view: Institutions hold 83.63% of the shares with several funds boosting positions, while analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" rating.

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) insider John Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.88, for a total value of $141,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 50,334 shares in the company, valued at $7,141,387.92. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

World Acceptance Trading Down 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ WRLD traded down $4.35 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $135.15. 183,749 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 111,255. The company's 50-day moving average is $134.50 and its 200-day moving average is $149.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 25.01 and a current ratio of 25.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $667.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.30 and a beta of 1.20. World Acceptance Corporation has a 52-week low of $104.99 and a 52-week high of $185.48.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The credit services provider reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.77). World Acceptance had a net margin of 7.46% and a return on equity of 10.80%. The company had revenue of $128.47 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.49 million. Analysts expect that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Acceptance

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in World Acceptance by 2.9% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 87,588 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $12,299,000 after purchasing an additional 2,469 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 85,622 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $14,482,000 after buying an additional 10,649 shares during the period. Smith Thomas W acquired a new position in shares of World Acceptance during the fourth quarter worth about $10,894,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 15.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 76,188 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $10,696,000 after buying an additional 10,308 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in World Acceptance by 680.5% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 67,649 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $9,497,000 after acquiring an additional 58,982 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.63% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WRLD has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded World Acceptance from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

World Acceptance Company Profile

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.

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