World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Lowered to Buy Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Monday morning.

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Trading Down 0.2%

NASDAQ:WRLD opened at $186.84 on Monday. World Acceptance has a 1 year low of $110.00 and a 1 year high of $227.68. The stock has a market cap of $870.67 million, a P/E ratio of 22.09 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 13.49 and a current ratio of 13.49. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $189.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $157.54.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $1.54. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 12.13% and a net margin of 6.71%.The business had revenue of $127.79 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $143.90 million.

Insider Activity at World Acceptance

In other news, Director Benjamin E. Robinson III sold 2,031 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.77, for a total transaction of $452,445.87. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,836 shares in the company, valued at $1,077,315.72. This represents a 29.58% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Charles D. Way sold 833 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.00, for a total transaction of $187,425.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 12,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,864,025. This represents a 6.14% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,396 shares of company stock worth $1,493,090. Corporate insiders own 38.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WRLD. Smith Thomas W purchased a new position in World Acceptance in the fourth quarter valued at about $10,894,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 680.5% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 67,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $9,497,000 after purchasing an additional 58,982 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 86.3% during the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 44,301 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $6,219,000 after purchasing an additional 20,520 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the second quarter valued at $4,577,000. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 33.1% in the second quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 57,928 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $9,565,000 after purchasing an additional 14,406 shares during the period. 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.