World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Issues Earnings Results

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The credit services provider reported ($0.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.77), Zacks reports. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 13.65% and a net margin of 10.00%.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

WRLD opened at $126.73 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 24.16 and a quick ratio of 24.16. World Acceptance has a 1-year low of $104.99 and a 1-year high of $185.48. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $156.56. The firm has a market cap of $638.72 million, a P/E ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 1.12.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on WRLD shares. Zacks Research upgraded World Acceptance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, World Acceptance has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Daniel Clinton Dyer sold 8,857 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 33,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,012,360. This represents a 20.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total transaction of $149,210.00. Following the sale, 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 9,946 shares of company stock worth $1,482,253 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of World Acceptance

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its position in World Acceptance by 33.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 57,928 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $9,565,000 after buying an additional 14,406 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 51.1% during 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 acquiring an additional 13,999 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 95.3% in 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 purchasing an additional 11,905 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in World Acceptance by 66.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 29,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $5,007,000 after purchasing an additional 11,809 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Basswood Capital Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in World Acceptance during the 2nd quarter worth $1,887,000. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About World Acceptance

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.