World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Free Report) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

World Acceptance Trading Down 3.4%

NASDAQ WRLD traded down $5.87 on Friday, reaching $164.57. 25,046 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 32,988. The business's fifty day moving average price is $155.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $137.99. The company has a current ratio of 19.32, a quick ratio of 19.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $873.84 million, a P/E ratio of 10.10 and a beta of 1.35. World Acceptance 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The credit services provider reported $8.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.42 by $1.71. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 21.02% and a net margin of 15.89%. The firm had revenue of $165.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $154.52 million. Analysts forecast that World Acceptance will post 14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In other World Acceptance news, Director Darrell E. Whitaker sold 2,500 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.73, for a total value of $389,325.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 5,074 shares in the company, valued at approximately $790,174.02. The trade was a 33.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 1,010 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $151,500.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 3,560 shares of company stock worth $548,875. Insiders own 43.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 72.1% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 265 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in World Acceptance by 570.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 369 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 314 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 876.2% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 820 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $104,000 after purchasing an additional 736 shares during the period. Finally, Amundi increased its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 195.7% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 1,591 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $180,000 after acquiring an additional 1,053 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.63% 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.