Norges Bank Purchases Shares of 16,700 World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD)

Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 16,700 shares of the credit services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,878,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in WRLD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in World Acceptance by 42.2% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 30,968 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,482,000 after buying an additional 9,194 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 9,513 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,070,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 4th quarter worth approximately $56,000. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in World Acceptance by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 53,014 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $5,961,000 after acquiring an additional 5,245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in World Acceptance by 60.7% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 8,535 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $960,000 after purchasing an additional 3,223 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

World Acceptance Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:WRLD opened at $120.20 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 22.46, a current ratio of 22.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The firm has a market cap of $690.79 million, a P/E ratio of 8.39 and a beta of 1.35. World Acceptance Co. has a 12 month low of $101.85 and a 12 month high of $161.63. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $130.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.96.

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

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In other World Acceptance news, SVP Scott Mcintyre sold 2,000 shares of the firm’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 transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 7,183 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,079,030.26. This trade represents a 21.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.19, for a total transaction of $73,292.72. Following the sale, the insider now owns 14,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,216,804.40. The trade was a 3.20 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,188 shares of company stock worth $619,409 over the last 90 days. 43.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised World Acceptance from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 6th.

About World Acceptance

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.