World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Stock Price Down 3.4% – Here’s Why

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD)’s share price traded down 3.4% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $131.01 and last traded at $130.9010. 53,267 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 57% from the average session volume of 123,850 shares. The stock had previously closed at $135.52.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on WRLD. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised World Acceptance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, World Acceptance has an average rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Trading Down 6.7%

The stock has a market cap of $624.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.11 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $132.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $146.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 25.01 and a current ratio of 25.01.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.88, for a total transaction of $141,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,334 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,141,387.92. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WRLD. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in World Acceptance by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 33,047 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,639,000 after purchasing an additional 3,445 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,022 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,794,000 after buying an additional 1,952 shares during the last quarter. Smith Thomas W bought a new stake in shares of World Acceptance during the 4th quarter worth about $10,894,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in World Acceptance in the 4th quarter valued at about $961,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in World Acceptance by 680.5% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 67,649 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $9,497,000 after acquiring an additional 58,982 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

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.