Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Boosts Stake in World Acceptance Corporation $WRLD

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its stake in World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) by 3,071.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,821 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,669 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned approximately 0.10% of World Acceptance worth $651,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. iSAM Funds UK Ltd bought a new stake in World Acceptance during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 241.2% in the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 331 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 103.2% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 569 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 289 shares during the period. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the third quarter worth about $138,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 17.3% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,426 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $215,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WRLD has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of World Acceptance from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Sunday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other World Acceptance news, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $186.00, for a total value of $372,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 48,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,990,124. This trade represents a 3.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Benjamin E. Robinson III sold 2,031 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.77, for a total transaction of $452,445.87. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,836 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,077,315.72. This trade represents a 29.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 7,396 shares of company stock valued at $1,493,090 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 38.00% of the company’s stock.

World Acceptance Price Performance

NASDAQ:WRLD opened at $193.63 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $187.31 and its 200 day moving average is $156.08. World Acceptance Corporation has a 12 month low of $110.00 and a 12 month high of $227.68. The company has a market capitalization of $902.32 million, a P/E ratio of 22.89 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 13.49, a quick ratio of 22.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by $1.54. The business had revenue of $139.21 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $143.90 million. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 12.13% and a net margin of 6.71%.

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.