World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) Director Charles D. Way Sells 402 Shares

Key Points

• Director Charles D. Way of World Acceptance Corporation sold 402 shares at an average price of $160, reducing his ownership by 2.54% to a total of 15,395 shares valued at approximately $2.46 million.
• World Acceptance's recent quarterly earnings showed $0.25 earnings per share, significantly missing analysts' expectations of $2.44, while revenue exceeded forecasts at $132.45 million.
• Wall Street Zen downgraded World Acceptance's stock rating from "strong-buy" to "hold," indicating a shift in analyst sentiment regarding the company's performance.

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) Director Charles D. Way sold 402 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $64,320.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 15,395 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,463,200. This trade represents a 2.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

Shares of World Acceptance stock traded up $6.73 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $168.04. The company had a trading volume of 25,522 shares, compared to its average volume of 38,001. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $162.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $144.43. The stock has a market cap of $915.79 million, a PE ratio of 11.34 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 17.83 and a quick ratio of 17.83. World Acceptance Corporation has a 1-year low of $104.99 and a 1-year high of $177.25.

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

Institutional Trading of World Acceptance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WRLD. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of World Acceptance by 570.9% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 369 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 314 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in World Acceptance by 2.4% during the first quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 16,162 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,045,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in World Acceptance by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 64,584 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $7,262,000 after acquiring an additional 7,622 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its stake in World Acceptance by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 8,218 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $924,000 after acquiring an additional 561 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in World Acceptance by 42.2% in the 4th 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 period. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.