World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Sets New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $224.14 and last traded at $223.72, with a volume of 95677 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $213.77.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered World Acceptance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $167.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $147.94. The company has a quick ratio of 22.99, a current ratio of 22.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The company has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.74 and a beta of 1.13.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The credit services provider reported $7.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.74 by ($0.04). World Acceptance had a return on equity of 9.36% and a net margin of 5.98%.The firm had revenue of $164.31 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.40 million.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 609 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.00, for a total value of $110,229.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 14,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,657,442. The trade was a 3.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Luke J. Umstetter sold 1,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.66, for a total value of $181,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 28,245 shares in the company, valued at $5,130,986.70. The trade was a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 5,576 shares of company stock worth $1,149,890 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 4.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,044 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in World Acceptance by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 23,422 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,964,000 after purchasing an additional 925 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in World Acceptance by 16.7% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 28,651 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,731,000 after purchasing an additional 4,092 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in World Acceptance by 23.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 26,865 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,436,000 after purchasing an additional 5,025 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of World Acceptance by 0.8% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 10,600 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,750,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. 83.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.