At a glance
World Acceptance Corp is worth $812.0M, about 25 times its fiscal 2026 earnings. Revenue grew 3.7% to $585.2M in fiscal 2026, with 5.9% kept as profit; over 5 years it has grown 2.1% a year. It pays no dividend; it spent $348.3M buying back its shares over FY2022–FY2026. The stock returned +27.5% over the past year with dividends reinvested and −0.7% a year over five years, against +11.5% and +11.7% for the S&P 500. At its worst it fell 36.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 60.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%).
The business in plain English
World Acceptance Corp is a South Carolina consumer lender listed on Nasdaq. It makes installment loans to individuals: loans repaid in fixed, regular payments over a set period. Its 10-K says these customers generally do not qualify for, or have difficulty qualifying for, credit from traditional sources. Loans to individuals are its largest group of assets. It lends through local branches and also runs insurance operations that rely on one main distribution channel.
It earns money on the gap between the interest it charges borrowers and what it pays to borrow, minus bad loans and operating costs. Funding comes largely from a revolving credit agreement and a warehouse facility, which is a credit line backed by a pool of loans. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, revenue rose 3.7% to $585.2 million. About $100 million of that was noninterest income, meaning revenue other than loan interest. The company set aside $188.6 million for expected credit losses, and net income was $34.6 million.
The 10-K does not provide a clean revenue split by product, segment or region. It does say revenue is concentrated in certain states. It also describes its products and business as having limited diversification, which it says can make earnings more volatile than at more diversified peers.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
WRLD +27.5% over the year to Oct 28, 2026, total return with dividends reinvested.
Latest results
- In Q1 FY2027 (ended Jun 30, 2026), revenue was $139.2M, up 4.8% from a year earlier, and net income was $6.1M (+285.4%).
- For fiscal 2026, revenue was $585.2M (+3.7% year over year; +2.1% a year from FY2021 to FY2026) with a 5.9% net margin.
Financial health check
| Revenue growth a year (FY2021–FY2026) | +2.1% watch |
|---|---|
| Return on equity | 9.9% watch |
| Net income / revenue | 5.9% weak |
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Net income | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | $528.0M | $88.3M | — |
| FY2022 | $585.2M | $53.9M | — |
| FY2023 | $616.5M | $21.2M | — |
| FY2024 | $572.8M | $77.0M | — |
| FY2025 | $564.2M | $89.2M | — |
| FY2026 | $585.2M | $34.6M | — |
Valuation snapshot
| Market value | $812.0M |
|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 25.3 |
| Dividend yield | None |
Rank among 1514 US companies
Market value at each year end
World Acceptance’s market value went from $569.9M at the end of 2016 to $812.0M on Oct 28, 2026, up 42%; since the end of 2025 it is up 15%.
Show as a table
| Year end | Market value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 | $812.0M | +14.8% |
| 2025 | $707.3M | +9.4% |
| 2024 | $646.5M | -20.4% |
| 2023 | $812.5M | +96.9% |
| 2022 | $412.6M | -74.9% |
| 2021 | $1.64B | +134.0% |
| 2020 | $702.5M | +2.7% |
| 2019 | $683.9M | -32.2% |
| 2018 | $1.01B | +41.1% |
| 2017 | $714.9M | +25.4% |
| 2016 | $569.9M |
Price behavior
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRLD price data to Oct 28, 2026 | +24.0% | +27.5% | +21.3% | -0.7% | +13.7% |
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +24.0% |
| 2025 | +24.9% |
| 2024 | -13.9% |
| 2023 | +98.0% |
| 2022 | -73.1% |
| 2021 | +140.1% |
| 2020 | +18.3% |
| 2019 | -15.5% |
| 2018 | +26.7% |
| 2017 | +25.6% |
| 2016 | +73.3% |
| 2015 | -53.3% |
| 2014 | -9.2% |
| 2013 | +17.4% |
| 2012 | +1.4% |
| 2011 | +39.2% |
| 2010 | +47.4% |
| 2009 | +81.3% |
| 2008 | -26.8% |
| 2007 | -42.5% |
| 2006 | +64.7% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 66.8% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 75.1%, back to its old high 18.5 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 35.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 36.1%, back to its old high 4.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 56% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 60.2%, not recovered by the end of the data |
Insider activity
Form 4 filings from 2025-10-31 to 2026-10-31 (25 read): 0 open-market purchases and 22 sales ($43.1M), 6 of them under pre-arranged 10b5-1 trading plans.
| Date | Insider | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2026 | Prescott General Partners LLC 10% owner | sell | $15.0M |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Prescott General Partners LLC 10% owner | sell | $13.6M |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Prescott General Partners LLC 10% owner | sell | $7.9M |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Prescott General Partners LLC 10% owner | sell | $2.0M |
| Aug 14, 2026 | Prescott General Partners LLC 10% owner | sell | $1.5M |
Who owns it
Large shareholders (13G filings)
| BlackRock, Inc. | 9% | Mar 31, 2025 |
ETFs with the most weight in WRLD
| SIXS ETC 6 Meridian Small Cap Equity ETF | 1.17% |
| SQLV Royce Quant Small‑Cap Quality Value ETF | 0.34% |
| BFOR ALPS Barron's 400 ETF | 0.27% |
| BSVO EA Bridgeway Omni Small-Cap Value ETF | 0.22% |
| EES WisdomTree U.S. SmallCap Fund | 0.13% |
| PSCF Invesco S&P SmallCap Financials ETF | 0.13% |
| IWC iShares Micro-Cap ETF | 0.12% |
| SEIS SEI Select Small Cap ETF | 0.12% |
What could go wrong
- Critics call its loans predatory. Consumer groups and media push for rules to ban or tightly restrict its loans, calling them predatory or abusive. If policymakers adopt that view, new laws or lawsuits could seriously hurt the business.
- Customers with weak credit may not repay. Its borrowers often struggle to get credit elsewhere. If loan losses exceed estimates, it must set aside more money, cutting earnings. It set aside $188.6 million for credit losses in fiscal 2026.
- State laws and concentration in certain states. Revenue is concentrated in certain states. Unfavorable state laws, executive orders, regulatory actions or court rulings could force it to change, suspend or stop lending there, and local economic trouble hits harder.
- Branch-based lending and high staff turnover. Loans are made and serviced through local branches rather than centrally, with some reliance on third parties. Frequent turnover among branch managers and staff can lead to inconsistent practices, misconduct, compliance lapses and higher costs.
- Dependence on borrowed money and interest rates. It relies heavily on a revolving credit line and a warehouse facility. Total debt was $572.8 million as of June 30, 2026. Higher rates raise interest costs, and debt agreements limit its flexibility.
- Federal regulation, lawsuits and arbitration challenges. It is no longer supervised by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but it still faces that agency's rules and possible investigations. Class actions, including challenges to arbitration clauses in customer agreements, could bring fines, penalties or judgments.
Recent events
- Quarterly results released; Investor presentation or announcement
- Executive or board change
- Shareholder vote results
- Other company announcement
- Quarterly results released; Investor presentation or announcement
- Major agreement signed; New debt or financial obligation
- Executive or board change
- Major agreement signed
- Quarterly results released; Investor presentation or announcement
- Executive or board change; Other company announcement
For income and retirement investors
World Acceptance pays no dividend, so it provides no regular income. Retirees who want cash from it would have to sell shares. Its own 10-K lists the lack of a dividend as a risk for income-focused investors. Instead, the company returns cash through buybacks, meaning it purchases its own shares. It spent $348.3 million on buybacks from fiscal 2022 to fiscal 2026, including $132.4 million in fiscal 2026. Shares outstanding fell 30.3%, from about 6.69 million in August 2021 to about 4.66 million as of July 31, 2026.
The shares have fallen hard in downturns. They dropped 75.1% around the 2008 financial crisis and took about 18.5 months from the March 2009 low to recover. They fell 36.1% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered by August 2020. In the 2022 bear market they lost 60.2%, and as of October 28, 2026, they had not regained the January 2022 peak. Single stocks carry more risk than diversified funds.
Questions investors ask
How does World Acceptance make money?
Mainly by charging interest on installment loans to individuals, which borrowers repay in fixed payments over a set term. Its 10-K says these customers generally do not qualify for, or have difficulty qualifying for, credit from traditional sources. It funds the loans largely with a revolving credit agreement and a warehouse facility. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, revenue was $585.2 million, including about $100 million from sources other than loan interest. It set aside $188.6 million for expected credit losses.
Does World Acceptance pay a dividend?
No. World Acceptance paid no dividends from fiscal 2022 through fiscal 2026, and its 10-K lists the lack of a dividend as a risk for income-focused investors. Instead, it returns cash by buying back its own shares: $348.3 million over those five years, including $132.4 million in fiscal 2026. Buybacks helped cut the share count by 30.3% between August 2021 and July 2026. Shareholders who want cash from the stock have to sell shares.
Is World Acceptance profitable?
Yes, but its profit swings widely. Net income for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 was $34.6 million, down 61.2% from $89.2 million a year earlier, even though revenue rose 3.7%. From fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2026, yearly profit ranged from $21.2 million to $89.2 million. Return on equity, or profit per dollar of shareholder capital, was 9.9%. In the quarter ended June 30, 2026, net income was $6.1 million, up 285.4% from a year earlier.
How volatile is World Acceptance stock?
Very volatile. Its annualized volatility, a measure of how much the price swings, was 49.8% for the year to October 28, 2026. Its largest drop from a peak in about 21 years of price history was 77.7%. Calendar-year returns have ranged from a 140.1% gain in 2021 to a 73.1% loss in 2022, followed by a 98.0% gain in 2023. As of October 28, 2026, the stock returned 27.5% over one year, -0.7% a year over five years and 13.7% a year over ten years.
Are insiders selling World Acceptance stock?
Yes. In the year to October 29, 2026, the insider filings reviewed show 18 sales worth about $27.5 million and no purchases. Six of the sales were made under preset trading plans. The largest sales came from Prescott General Partners LLC, a 10% owner, which sold shares in several transactions on August 14, 2026. One of those transactions was worth about $13.6 million. World Acceptance's 10-K warns that a small number of shareholders may have significant influence over shareholder votes.