JPMorgan Chase & Co. Buys 9,194 Shares of World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD - Free Report) by 42.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,968 shares of the credit services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 9,194 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned 0.54% of World Acceptance worth $3,482,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WRLD. WINTON GROUP Ltd increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 9,513 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,070,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the fourth quarter valued at $56,000. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of World Acceptance by 11.0% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 53,014 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,961,000 after purchasing an additional 5,245 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 60.7% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 8,535 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $960,000 after buying an additional 3,223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 195.7% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 1,591 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 1,053 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.63% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of World Acceptance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 14th.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

NASDAQ WRLD traded down $1.55 on Friday, reaching $134.15. The stock had a trading volume of 38,123 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,527. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 22.46 and a quick ratio of 22.46. The company has a market cap of $770.96 million, a P/E ratio of 9.37 and a beta of 1.35. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $126.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $123.82. World Acceptance Co. has a 1-year low of $101.85 and a 1-year high of $161.63.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $1.22. World Acceptance had a net margin of 14.41% and a return on equity of 19.03%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that World Acceptance Co. will post 14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Scott Mcintyre sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.22, for a total transaction of $300,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 7,183 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,079,030.26. This represents a 21.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total value of $83,886.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 8,524 shares in the company, valued at $1,191,740.44. The trade was a 6.58 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,188 shares of company stock worth $619,409. Corporate insiders own 43.20% of the company's stock.

World Acceptance Company 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.