Insider Selling: World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Insider Sells 1,000 Shares of Stock

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) insider John Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $8,116,277.95. This represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

World Acceptance Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:WRLD traded down $3.76 during trading on Friday, reaching $144.18. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 78,285 shares, compared to its average volume of 47,843. The stock has a market capitalization of $726.39 million, a PE ratio of 13.80 and a beta of 1.08. World Acceptance Corporation has a 12 month low of $104.99 and a 12 month high of $185.48. The company has a current ratio of 24.16, a quick ratio of 24.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $147.96 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $160.28.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported ($0.38) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by ($2.25). The company had revenue of $120.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $127.85 million. World Acceptance had a net margin of 10.00% and a return on equity of 13.65%. On average, research analysts predict that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on WRLD. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research cut shares of World Acceptance from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Institutional Trading of World Acceptance

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in World Acceptance by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 349,238 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $44,196,000 after buying an additional 7,429 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in World Acceptance by 14.2% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 85,622 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $14,482,000 after acquiring an additional 10,649 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 6.1% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 84,846 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $14,011,000 after acquiring an additional 4,869 shares during the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 9.0% during the third quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 63,120 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $10,676,000 after acquiring an additional 5,192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ingalls & Snyder LLC raised its position in shares of World Acceptance by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 53,171 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $8,780,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

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.