World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Sunday morning.

World Acceptance Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WRLD opened at $112.54 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $133.59 and its 200-day moving average is $123.02. The firm has a market cap of $646.77 million, a P/E ratio of 7.86 and a beta of 1.35. World Acceptance has a 1-year low of $101.85 and a 1-year high of $161.63. The company has a current ratio of 22.46, a quick ratio of 22.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.23 by $1.22. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 14.41%. Equities research analysts predict that World Acceptance will post 14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 transaction of $300,440.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,183 shares of the company’s stock, 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 SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 600 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total transaction of $83,886.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,524 shares in the company, valued at $1,191,740.44. This trade represents a 6.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,188 shares of company stock worth $619,409 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 43.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WRLD. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in World Acceptance by 72.1% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 265 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,000. FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 19.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 822 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $97,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Amundi increased its position in World Acceptance by 195.7% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 1,591 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $180,000 after purchasing an additional 1,053 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in World Acceptance by 48.8% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,643 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 539 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 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.