World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Raised 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 report issued on Sunday morning.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

Shares of WRLD stock traded up $0.66 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $143.45. 25,057 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 29,185. World Acceptance has a fifty-two week low of $101.85 and a fifty-two week high of $161.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $824.41 million, a P/E ratio of 10.02 and a beta of 1.29. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $131.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $127.26. The company has a quick ratio of 22.46, a current ratio of 22.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The credit services provider reported $8.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.42 by $1.71. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 14.41%. The company had revenue of $165.27 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $154.52 million. Analysts predict that World Acceptance will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 1,010 shares of the company'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 now directly owns 10,315 shares in the company, valued at $1,547,250. The trade was a 8.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 43.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 2.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 349,238 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $44,196,000 after purchasing an additional 7,429 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 13.4% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 64,584 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $7,262,000 after purchasing an additional 7,622 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 17.0% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 62,019 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $7,849,000 after purchasing an additional 9,005 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 84,803.6% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 46,697 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,910,000 after purchasing an additional 46,642 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 2.2% in the first quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 43,522 shares of the credit services provider's stock valued at $5,508,000 after purchasing an additional 925 shares in the last quarter. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.