Royce & Associates LP Trims Holdings in World Acceptance Corporation $WRLD

Royce & Associates LP trimmed its stake in shares of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) by 21.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,188 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 3,345 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP’s holdings in World Acceptance were worth $1,711,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WRLD. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in World Acceptance by 33.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 57,928 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $9,565,000 after buying an additional 14,406 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of World Acceptance by 51.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 41,380 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,833,000 after buying an additional 13,999 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 95.3% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 24,400 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,127,000 after buying an additional 11,905 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 66.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 29,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $5,007,000 after acquiring an additional 11,809 shares during the period. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd boosted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 138.1% in the third quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 20,241 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,424,000 after acquiring an additional 11,741 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed 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, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Trading Up 2.2%

World Acceptance stock opened at $165.09 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $815.54 million, a P/E ratio of 22.37 and a beta of 1.16. World Acceptance Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $110.00 and a fifty-two week high of $185.48. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $146.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $141.65. 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 released its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $164.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.40 million. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 9.17% and a net margin of 5.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at World Acceptance

In other news, Director Benjamin E. Robinson III sold 180 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $28,800.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $788,160. This represents a 3.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.88, for a total value of $141,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 50,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,141,387.92. This represents a 1.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,270 shares of company stock worth $185,080. Insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

World Acceptance 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.