World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Shares Down 4.8% – Should You Sell?

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) fell 4.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $134.63 and last traded at $132.0370. 22,879 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 126,773 shares. The stock had previously closed at $138.63.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on WRLD. Zacks Research upgraded World Acceptance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Friday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $135.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $142.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 25.01 and a current ratio of 25.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $698.42 million, a PE ratio of 18.10 and a beta of 1.17.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The credit services provider reported ($0.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.77). World Acceptance had a net margin of 7.46% and a return on equity of 10.80%. The company had revenue of $128.47 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $133.49 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at World Acceptance

In other news, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.88, for a total transaction of $141,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 50,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,141,387.92. The trade was a 1.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 41.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its position in World Acceptance by 677.8% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 11,582 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $1,959,000 after acquiring an additional 10,093 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd increased its stake in World Acceptance by 138.1% during the third quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 20,241 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,424,000 after acquiring an additional 11,741 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC purchased a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 2nd quarter worth about $941,000. CX Institutional purchased a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 3rd quarter worth about $6,258,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 85,622 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $14,482,000 after purchasing an additional 10,649 shares in the last quarter. 83.63% of the stock is 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.