World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Sees Large Volume Increase – What’s Next?

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 54,362 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 17% from the previous session’s volume of 46,269 shares.The stock last traded at $146.8820 and had previously closed at $145.66.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WRLD shares. Zacks Research lowered shares of World Acceptance from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research note on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, World Acceptance has an average rating of “Reduce”.

World Acceptance Trading Up 3.5%

The firm has a market cap of $759.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.42 and a beta of 1.08. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $151.49 and its 200-day moving average is $160.53. The company has a current ratio of 24.16, a quick ratio of 24.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported ($0.38) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by ($2.25). The business had revenue of $120.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $127.85 million. World Acceptance had a net margin of 10.00% and a return on equity of 13.65%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In other World Acceptance news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.33, for a total transaction of $167,330.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 16,515 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,763,454.95. The trade was a 5.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of WRLD. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in World Acceptance in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 241.2% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 331 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings 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 valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 60.0% during the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 800 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $132,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in World Acceptance during the third quarter worth about $138,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

World Acceptance Company Profile

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.