Amundi Increases Stock Holdings in World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD)

Amundi lifted its stake in World Acceptance Co. (NASDAQ:WRLD) by 195.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,591 shares of the credit services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,053 shares during the quarter. Amundi’s holdings in World Acceptance were worth $180,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 32,681 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $3,675,000 after purchasing an additional 3,141 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,497 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,530,000 after purchasing an additional 1,067 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 49.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 21,774 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $2,569,000 after purchasing an additional 7,223 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 15,776 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $1,774,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of World Acceptance in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,504,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at World Acceptance

In other news, SVP Alice Lindsay Caulder sold 600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.81, for a total transaction of $83,886.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 8,524 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,191,740.44. This represents a 6.58 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Scott Mcintyre sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.22, for a total value of $300,440.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 7,183 shares in the company, valued at $1,079,030.26. The trade was a 21.78 % 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 quarter. 43.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

World Acceptance Price Performance

WRLD opened at $125.40 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $133.04 and a 200 day moving average of $122.19. World Acceptance Co. has a 52-week low of $101.85 and a 52-week high of $161.63. The company has a quick ratio of 22.46, a current ratio of 22.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31. The stock has a market cap of $720.67 million, a P/E ratio of 8.76 and a beta of 1.48.

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 28th. The credit services provider reported $2.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that World Acceptance Co. will post 14 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

World Acceptance Profile

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.