Ingalls & Snyder LLC Trims Stock Position in World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD)

Ingalls & Snyder LLC lowered its position in World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD) by 10.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 53,146 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after selling 6,192 shares during the period. Ingalls & Snyder LLC’s holdings in World Acceptance were worth $5,976,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 19.0% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 822 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $97,000 after buying an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of World Acceptance by 10.0% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,791 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $211,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP raised its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 53.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 1,997 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 694 shares during the period. ClearAlpha Technologies LP purchased a new stake in World Acceptance during the 3rd quarter worth $265,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of World Acceptance during the third quarter valued at approximately $275,000. 83.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WRLD shares. StockNews.com upgraded World Acceptance from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Stephens initiated coverage on World Acceptance in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $10.00 target price for the company.

World Acceptance Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of WRLD stock opened at $145.01 on Thursday. World Acceptance Co. has a 1 year low of $101.85 and a 1 year high of $161.63. The company has a current ratio of 22.46, a quick ratio of 19.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $833.81 million, a P/E ratio of 10.13 and a beta of 1.46. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $123.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $118.74.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 600 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total value of $83,886.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 8,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,191,740.44. This represents a 6.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 43.20% of the company’s stock.

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.