World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Time to Buy?

Shares of World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 25,906 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 9% from the previous session’s volume of 28,489 shares.The stock last traded at $130.50 and had previously closed at $125.40.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of World Acceptance from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 13th.

World Acceptance Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $750.04 million, a P/E ratio of 9.11 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $133.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 22.46 and a current ratio of 22.46.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $1.22. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 19.03% and a net margin of 14.41%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that World Acceptance Co. will post 14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Jason E. Childers sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.58, for a total value of $71,790.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 8,039 shares in the company, valued at $1,154,239.62. This represents a 5.86 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Luke J. Umstetter sold 600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $90,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,248 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,287,200. This trade represents a 3.79 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,188 shares of company stock worth $619,409 in the last three months. 43.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WRLD. Numerai GP LLC boosted its stake in World Acceptance by 155.4% in the 4th quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 6,412 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $721,000 after purchasing an additional 3,901 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 4.0% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,966 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $221,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 50.2% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 3,164 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $356,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. lifted its position in World Acceptance by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 33,632 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $3,782,000 after acquiring an additional 4,329 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in World Acceptance by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 42,597 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,790,000 after purchasing an additional 1,067 shares during the last quarter. 83.63% of the stock is 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.