World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Buy” Rating

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Friday, March 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, World Acceptance presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WRLD opened at $177.95 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $157.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $144.80. World Acceptance has a 1 year low of $110.00 and a 1 year high of $185.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 22.99 and a quick ratio of 22.99. The company has a market capitalization of $825.69 million, a P/E ratio of 24.11 and a beta of 1.19.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other World Acceptance news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 609 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.00, for a total transaction of $110,229.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 14,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,657,442. The trade was a 3.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Luke J. Umstetter sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $181.66, for a total transaction of $181,660.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 28,245 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,130,986.70. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,879 shares of company stock valued at $335,089. 41.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Acceptance

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 worth $1,959,000 after buying an additional 10,093 shares during the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd increased its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 11,741 shares in the last quarter. 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 acquiring an additional 10,649 shares during the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 3rd quarter valued at $948,000. Finally, SageGuard Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance during the 4th quarter valued at $528,000. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.