Worldwide Acceptance (NASDAQ: WRLD – Get a rating) has been updated by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Separately, Zacks Investment Research cut World Acceptance shares from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a Wednesday, April 6 research report.

Global Acceptance Stock opened at $198.34 on Friday. The company has a debt ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 20.09 and a current ratio of 20.09. The company has a market capitalization of $1.30 billion, a price-earnings ratio of 15.89 and a beta of 1.55. Worldwide acceptance has a 1-year minimum of $123.17 and a 1-year maximum of $265.75. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $193.53 and its two-hundred-day moving average price is $206.98.

Worldwide Acceptance (NASDAQ: WRLD – Get a rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 25. The credit service provider reported earnings per share of $1.14 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.42 per ($1.28). World Acceptance had a return on equity of 19.63% and a net margin of 14.30%. The company posted revenue of $148.57 million for the quarter, compared to $140.12 million expected by analysts. In the same quarter a year earlier, the firm posted earnings of $2.25 per share. As a group, equity analysts predict World Acceptance will post EPS of 12.01 for the current fiscal year.

In other news, please Luke J. Umstetter sold 250 shares of the company in a trade on Friday, April 1. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.69, for a total transaction of $48,422.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, accessible via this link. Insiders hold 39.00% of the shares of the company.

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WRLD. EAM Global Investors LLC acquired a new equity stake in World Acceptance in Q3 worth $2,368,000. Citigroup Inc. increased its stake in World Acceptance shares by 269.2% in the fourth quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 12,301 shares of the credit services provider valued at $3,019,000 after buying 8,969 additional shares in the last quarter. EAM Investors LLC acquired a new equity stake in World Acceptance in Q3 worth $1,678,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in World Acceptance shares by 19.2% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 50,396 shares of the credit service provider valued at $12,368,000 after purchasing an additional 8,115 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its position in World Acceptance by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 675,276 shares of the credit service provider worth $128,019,000 after acquiring an additional 6,625 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds hold 85.69% of the company’s shares.

About Global Acceptance (Get a rating)

World Acceptance Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the small loan consumer finance business. The company offers short-term, small-payment loans, medium-term, larger-payment loans, related credit insurance, and ancillary products and services to individuals. It also provides automobile club memberships to its borrowers; and electronic tax return preparation and filing services.

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