World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Shares Down 5.5%

Shares of World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD) fell 5.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $138.00 and last traded at $138.00. 2,819 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 93% from the average session volume of 40,078 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.07.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered World Acceptance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th.

World Acceptance Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $742.95 million, a P/E ratio of 9.58 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a quick ratio of 15.98, a current ratio of 15.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $128.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $131.85.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The credit services provider reported $6.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.35 by $1.74. World Acceptance had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 18.88%. The company had revenue of $159.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $149.00 million. Sell-side analysts expect that World Acceptance Co. will post 13.69 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On World Acceptance

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quadrature Capital Ltd lifted its holdings in World Acceptance by 89.5% during the 1st quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 23,869 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,455,000 after purchasing an additional 11,275 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of World Acceptance by 47.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 18,918 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,743,000 after buying an additional 6,116 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of World Acceptance in the fourth quarter worth about $690,000. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the first quarter valued at approximately $727,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in World Acceptance by 110.6% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 6,845 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $893,000 after acquiring an additional 3,595 shares in the last quarter. 83.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About World Acceptance

World Acceptance Corporation engages in consumer finance business in the United States. The company offers short-term small installment loans, medium-term larger installment loans, related credit insurance, and ancillary products and services to individuals. It also provides income tax return preparation and filing services; and automobile club memberships.