World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $170.32 and traded as high as $172.38. World Acceptance shares last traded at $170.07, with a volume of 51,942 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have weighed in on WRLD. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen cut World Acceptance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

World Acceptance Trading Up 0.7%

The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $187.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $170.54. The company has a quick ratio of 13.49, a current ratio of 13.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $801.47 million, a P/E ratio of 20.33 and a beta of 1.14.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The credit services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $1.54. World Acceptance had a net margin of 6.71% and a return on equity of 12.13%. The company had revenue of $127.79 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $143.90 million.

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In related news, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $186.00, for a total transaction of $372,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 48,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,990,124. The trade was a 3.97% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Prescott General Partners Llc sold 133,199 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.69, for a total value of $25,000,120.31. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 31,148 shares in the company, valued at $5,846,168.12. This trade represents a 81.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 140,063 shares of company stock valued at $26,393,471. 38.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in World Acceptance by 97.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 20,545 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $2,774,000 after acquiring an additional 10,140 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in World Acceptance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $4,577,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in World Acceptance by 82.5% in the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 7,004 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,568,000 after purchasing an additional 3,166 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in World Acceptance in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,239,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in World Acceptance in the 1st quarter valued at $680,000. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About World Acceptance

World Acceptance Corporation is a consumer finance company that provides small, short-term installment loans and related financial services to individuals who may have limited access to traditional credit. The company primarily serves customers through a network of branch offices operating under the World Finance name.

Its products generally include personal installment loans, with loan proceeds commonly used for household expenses, emergency needs and other personal purposes. Depending on the market and applicable regulations, World Acceptance may also offer optional credit-related products and ancillary services, such as insurance products and tax preparation services.

Founded in 1962 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, World Acceptance serves customers primarily in the United States, with operations concentrated in the Southeast and other regions where its branch network is established.