World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Sees Large Volume Increase - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Trading spike: Shares saw a 31% increase in volume to 142,524 shares and last traded at $139.78, trading above its 50‑day SMA ($134.50) but below its 200‑day SMA ($149.12).
• Earnings miss and analyst view: World Acceptance reported Q4 EPS of ($0.19) versus $0.58 expected and missed revenue estimates, and analysts' consensus rating is currently a Hold.
• Insider selling and valuation: Insiders sold about 9,946 shares in recent transactions (insiders still own 41.6%), while the company has a market cap of roughly $672.5M and a P/E of 17.4.

Shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Wednesday . 142,524 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 31% from the previous session's volume of 108,409 shares.The stock last traded at $139.7810 and had previously closed at $139.49.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on WRLD. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of World Acceptance from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold".

World Acceptance Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 25.01, a current ratio of 25.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $672.48 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.42 and a beta of 1.20. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $134.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.12.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The credit services provider reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.77). The firm had revenue of $128.47 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $133.49 million. World Acceptance had a net margin of 7.46% and a return on equity of 10.80%. On average, research analysts forecast that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at World Acceptance

In other World Acceptance news, insider Daniel Clinton Dyer sold 8,857 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.00, for a total value of $1,319,693.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 33,640 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,012,360. This trade represents a 20.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total value of $149,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 54,395 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,116,277.95. The trade was a 1.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 9,946 shares of company stock valued at $1,482,253 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 41.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,044 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in World Acceptance by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,422 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $2,964,000 after purchasing an additional 925 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in World Acceptance by 6.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 84,846 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $14,011,000 after buying an additional 4,869 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning boosted its position in World Acceptance by 70.6% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 4,850 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $801,000 after buying an additional 2,007 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 44.2% during the second quarter. Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC now owns 7,227 shares of the credit services provider's stock worth $1,193,000 after buying an additional 2,214 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.63% of the company's stock.

World Acceptance Company Profile

World Acceptance Corporation NASDAQ: WRLD is a consumer finance company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1972, the company provides credit solutions to underserved customers who may have limited access to traditional banking services. Over the decades, World Acceptance has built a reputation for tailored lending that emphasizes responsible underwriting and personalized customer service.

The company's core product offerings include short-term installment loans designed to meet the immediate financial needs of its clients.

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