World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report released on Monday.
World Acceptance Price Performance
WRLD stock traded up $2.76 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $124.86. 41,186 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 29,526. The company has a current ratio of 22.46, a quick ratio of 22.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $123.20. World Acceptance has a one year low of $101.85 and a one year high of $161.63. The company has a market cap of $717.57 million, a P/E ratio of 8.72 and a beta of 1.35.
World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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%. Equities analysts forecast that World Acceptance will post 14 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Activity
In related news, SVP Scott Mcintyre sold 2,000 shares of the company'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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,183 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,079,030.26. This represents a 21.78 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Luke J. Umstetter sold 488 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.19, for a total transaction of $73,292.72. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 14,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,216,804.40. The trade was a 3.20 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,188 shares of company stock worth $619,409. Insiders own 43.20% of the company's stock.
Institutional Trading of World Acceptance
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WRLD. FMR LLC raised its position in World Acceptance by 19.0% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 822 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $97,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its stake 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 in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 8,271 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $976,000 after purchasing an additional 1,601 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 282.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,657 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 5,657 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 49.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 21,774 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $2,569,000 after purchasing an additional 7,223 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company's stock.
About World Acceptance
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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