World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Trading Down 4.5% – Time to Sell?

Shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) traded down 4.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $139.57 and last traded at $138.8950. 72,697 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 45% from the average session volume of 50,191 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.49.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WRLD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of World Acceptance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, World Acceptance presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Down 3.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 24.16 and a current ratio of 24.16. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $143.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $159.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $707.03 million, a P/E ratio of 13.44 and a beta of 1.08.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported ($0.38) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by ($2.25). World Acceptance had a return on equity of 13.65% and a net margin of 10.00%.The business had revenue of $120.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.85 million. As a group, research analysts expect that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total transaction of $149,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 54,395 shares in the company, valued at $8,116,277.95. This trade represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel Clinton Dyer sold 8,857 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 33,640 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,012,360. This represents a 20.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 9,946 shares of company stock worth $1,482,253 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CX Institutional acquired a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $6,258,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its stake in World Acceptance by 33.1% during the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 57,928 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $9,565,000 after buying an additional 14,406 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in World Acceptance by 51.1% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 41,380 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,833,000 after buying an additional 13,999 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in World Acceptance by 20.9% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 74,973 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $12,380,000 after acquiring an additional 12,954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in World Acceptance by 95.3% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 24,400 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,127,000 after acquiring an additional 11,905 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.