World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Sees Large Volume Increase – What’s Next?

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) shares saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 54,362 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 17% from the previous session’s volume of 46,269 shares.The stock last traded at $146.8820 and had previously closed at $145.66.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WRLD. Zacks Research downgraded shares of World Acceptance from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

World Acceptance Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $151.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $160.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 24.16 and a quick ratio of 24.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $759.53 million, a PE ratio of 14.35 and a beta of 1.08.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The credit services provider reported ($0.38) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by ($2.25). The company had revenue of $120.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.85 million. World Acceptance had a net margin of 10.00% and a return on equity of 13.65%. Sell-side analysts predict that World Acceptance Corporation will post 14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other World Acceptance news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 1,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.33, for a total value of $167,330.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 16,515 shares in the company, valued at $2,763,454.95. This trade represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 41.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WRLD. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in World Acceptance during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 241.2% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 331 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 103.2% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 569 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 60.0% in the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 800 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of World Acceptance in the third quarter valued at about $138,000. 83.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About World Acceptance

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