Vanguard Group Inc. Trims Stock Position in World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD)

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 341,809 shares of the credit services provider's stock after selling 7,870 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 5.94% of World Acceptance worth $38,433,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in World Acceptance by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 15,776 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,774,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 282.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,657 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $903,000 after acquiring an additional 5,657 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its position in World Acceptance by 10.0% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $211,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in World Acceptance by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 53,014 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $5,961,000 after acquiring an additional 5,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in World Acceptance by 195.7% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 1,591 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 1,053 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company's stock.

World Acceptance Stock Up 2.3 %

World Acceptance stock traded up $2.76 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $124.86. The stock had a trading volume of 41,186 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,526. The company has a market capitalization of $717.57 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.72 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 22.46 and a quick ratio of 22.46. World Acceptance Co. has a one year low of $101.85 and a one year high of $161.63. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $128.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $123.20.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $2.45 earnings per share 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, analysts expect that World Acceptance Co. will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Scott Mcintyre sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.22, for a total value of $300,440.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,183 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,079,030.26. This trade represents a 21.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Luke J. Umstetter sold 600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $90,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,248 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,287,200. This represents a 3.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,188 shares of company stock valued at $619,409 over the last ninety days. 43.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com cut World Acceptance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday.

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.