WRLD

Our analysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here. Management attributed the quarterly performance to a disciplined focus on responsible loan portfolio growth and rigorous expense management. Revenue growth of 4.8% was primarily driven by a combination of year-over-year loan expansion and a 91-basis point increase in interest and insurance yields. Credit quality showed broad improvement, with the annualized net charge-off rate decreasing from 19.2% to 18.2% year-over-year. Underwriting refinements led to a notable reduction in front-end delinquency, which dropped from 19.2% to 18.1% compared to the prior year. The company maintained a lean cost structure, reporting only modest increases in general and administrative expenses when excluding non-recurring CEO transition costs. Management views the current results as a validation of their underwriting strength and the overall health of the existing loan portfolio. The company believes it is well-positioned for the remainder of fiscal 2027 based on current credit trends and operational execution. Management intends to maintain a disciplined approach to general and administrative expenses throughout the fiscal year. Credit strategy remains dynamic, with management indicating a willingness to remain conservative in response to macroeconomic volatility, specifically fluctuating gas prices. The company expects to continue balancing loan growth with credit quality, prioritizing portfolio health over aggressive expansion. Reported earnings included one-time costs specifically related to the CEO transition process. Provision expense decreased by 13.4%, reflecting improved portfolio aging and the impact of previous credit tightening measures. One stock. Nvidia-level potential. 30M+ investors trust Moby to find it first. Get the pick. Tap here. Management tightened the credit box approximately six months ago in response to rising gas prices and inflationary pressures. The company began a modest loosening of credit standards about one month ago but remains generally conservative due to ongoing energy price volatility. Current underwriting posture is described as more open than five months ago but still intentionally restrictive compared to historical norms. Systemic demand for credit remains robust, though the volume of 'bookable' applications decreased slightly as a direct result of tighter internal credit filters. Management does not observe any fundamental shrinking in market demand despite macroeconomic headwinds like higher gas prices.

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) reported first-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Friday that comfortably exceeded profit expectations, although quarterly revenue came in slightly below Wall Street forecasts. Shares of the consumer finance company rose 1.89% in premarket trading following the earnings release as investors focused on stronger profitability and improving credit quality. World Acceptance posted adjusted earnings of $2.12 per share for the quarter, well above analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.44 per share. Revenue increased 4.8% year-on-year to $139.2 million from $132.8 million, although it fell short of the market expectation of $140.8 million. Adjusted earnings excluded approximately $3.6 million in after-tax costs related to the company’s chief executive officer transition. Net income climbed to $6.1 million, or $1.33 per diluted share, compared with $1.6 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, in the same period a year earlier. Total revenue increased by $6.4 million, driven primarily by higher lending activity. Interest and fee income rose 5.4% to $121.5 million, while gross loans outstanding increased 2.3% year-on-year to $1.29 billion as of June 30, 2026. The company reported improving credit metrics during the quarter. Provision for credit losses declined by $6.7 million to $43.8 million, compared with $50.5 million a year earlier. Net charge-offs also improved, falling to $43.3 million from $44.8 million, while the annualised net charge-off rate declined to 18.2% of average net loans receivable from 19.4% in the prior-year period. General and administrative expenses rose 8.2% year-on-year to $76.1 million. The increase included approximately $4.6 million in costs associated with the CEO transition, while personnel expenses climbed $5.1 million, with $4.3 million directly related to the leadership change. World Acceptance tightened underwriting standards for new borrowers during the quarter, contributing to a 40.1% decline in new customer loan volume compared with the same period last year. Management said underwriting criteria have since been expanded and expects lending to new customers to increase gradually over the coming quarters. The company also continued returning capital to shareholders, repurchasing 15,858 shares for approximately $2.2 million during the quarter. Around $10 million remains available under its existing share repurchase authorisation. World Acceptance Corporation stock price

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Adjusted Earnings Per Share (EPS): $2.12 for the first quarter. Revenue Increase: 4.8% increase year-over-year. Provision Expense: Decreased by 13.4%. Interest and Insurance Yields: Increased by 91 basis points. Net Charge-Off Rate: Decreased from 19.2% to 18.2%. Front End Delinquency: Decreased from 19.2% to 18.1%. General and Administrative (G&A) Expense: Modest increases noted. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with WRLD. Is WRLD fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Release Date: July 24, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. World Acceptance Corp (NASDAQ:WRLD) reported a 4.8% increase in revenue for the first quarter. The company achieved adjusted earnings per share of $2.12, reflecting strong financial performance. There was a 13.4% decrease in provision expense, indicating improved financial management. Credit quality improved with the annualized net charge-off rate decreasing from 19.2% to 18.2%. Front end delinquency decreased from 19.2% to 18.1%, showcasing better portfolio health. The company experienced modest increases in general and administrative expenses. There were one-time costs related to the CEO transition, impacting overall expenses. The tightening of the credit box led to a decrease in bookable applications. Gas prices continue to spike, which could affect future financial performance. Despite loosening credit policies, the company remains conservative, potentially limiting growth opportunities. Q: Just wanted to get a sense for the timing in terms of the underwriting changes, when you guys tweaked them tighter and at what point you undid those changes? A: Kyle, hey, thanks. Great question. This is Tobin. We really tightened our portfolio, the whole credit box really about six months ago, coinciding with the rise in gas prices. Thankfully, we've been pretty pleased with that's -- the way our portfolio has aged. Probably about a month ago, we started generally loosening a little bit, but I'd say we're still fairly conservative and with the -- gas prices continue to spike a little bit. I like where we are. We're more open than we were five months ago, but we're still pretty conservative. Q: Got it. And then on the demand side, can you give us a sense for how things have trended, call it year-to-date? We had large tax refunds, but to your point, a lot higher gas prices and just any changes in demand you've observed. A: Demand has been, thankfully, pretty robust for us. The bookable apps we've seen have decreased a little bit in conjunction with our tightening of the credit box. But overall or systemically, we don't see a shrinking in demand. So we feel pretty comfortable with demand right now. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 24, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) today reported financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2027. First fiscal quarter highlights Highlights from the first quarter include: Net income of $6.1 million or $1.33 per diluted share in the first quarter; Adjusted net income of $9.7 million or $2.12 per diluted share in the first quarter*; Total revenues increased $6.4 million to $139.2 million, or 4.8%, compared to the same quarter of the prior fiscal year; Gross loans outstanding increased 2.3% to $1.29 billion at June 30, 2026, from $1.26 billion at June 30, 2025; Loans 0-60 days past due on a recency basis decreased from 19.2% as of June 30, 2025 to 18.1% as of June 30, 2026; and Loans 61 days or more past due on a recency basis decreased from 5.4% as of June 30, 2025 to 5.2% as of June 30, 2026.*See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Portfolio results Gross loans outstanding were $1.29 billion as of June 30, 2026, a 2.3% increase from the $1.26 billion of gross loans outstanding as of June 30, 2025. During the most recent quarter, borrowing by existing customers increased compared to the prior-year quarter, while borrowing by new customers declined. Refinanced customer loan volume increased 4.3% in the most recent quarter, compared to the same quarter of fiscal year 2026. New customer loan volume decreased 40.1%, compared to the same quarter of fiscal year 2026. At the end of the prior fiscal year, we tightened our underwriting of new customers given the proportion of new customers already in the portfolio and increasing macroeconomic uncertainty. As a result, our customer base decreased by 1.9% during the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2026, compared to an increase of 4.0% for the comparable period ended June 30, 2025. We have since expanded underwriting and expect to carefully increase new customer lending in the coming quarters. The following table includes the volume of gross loan origination balances, excluding tax advance loans, by customer type for the following comparative quarterly periods: As of June 30, 2026, the Company had 1,009 open branches. For branches open at least twelve months, same store gross loans increased 2.2% in the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2026, compared to a 1.1% increase for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2025. For branches open throughout both periods, the customer base over the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2026, decreased 1.7%, compared to an increase of 5.9% for the twelve-month period ended June 30, 2025. Three-month financial results Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 increased by $4.5 million to $6.1 million from net income of $1.6 million for the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. Net income per diluted share was $1.33 in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, compared to $0.30 of net income per diluted share for the same quarter of the prior year. The first quarter of fiscal 2027 included $4.6 million ($3.6 million after tax) in expense related to the CEO transition. Adjusted net income, a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the after-tax impact of the CEO transition expense, was $9.7 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 and adjusted net income per diluted share was $2.12. A reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is provided under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below. Total revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 increased to $139.2 million, a 4.8% increase from $132.8 million for the prior fiscal year. Interest and fee income increased 5.4%, from $115.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 to $121.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. Insurance income remained essentially unchanged at $11.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, compared to $11.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Interest and insurance yields for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, increased 91 basis points as compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025. Other income increased $0.5 million, or 7.7%, to $6.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, as compared to $5.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The Company accrues for expected losses with a current expected credit loss ("CECL") methodology, which requires us to create a provision for credit losses on the day we originate the loan. The provision for credit losses decreased $6.7 million to $43.8 million, from $50.5 million when comparing the first quarter of fiscal 2027 to the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The table below itemizes the key components of the CECL allowance and provision impact during the quarter. Net charge-offs for the quarter decreased $1.5 million, from $44.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, to $43.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. Net charge-offs as a percentage of average net loans receivable on an annualized basis decreased to 18.2% in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 from 19.4% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Net charge-offs during the quarter include recoveries of $1.6 million related to the sale of prior charge-offs. Accounts 61 days or more past due decreased to 5.2% on a recency basis at June 30, 2026, compared to 5.4% at June 30, 2025. Recency delinquency on accounts 0 to 60 days past due decreased from 19.2% at June 30, 2025, to 18.1% at June 30, 2026. Our allowance for credit losses as a percentage of net loans receivable was 11.8% at June 30, 2026, compared to 11.6% at June 30, 2025. The table below has been updated to reflect the customer tenure-based methodology, which aligns with our CECL methodology and illustrates changes in portfolio weighting. General and administrative ("G&A") expenses increased $5.8 million, or 8.2%, to $76.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, compared to $70.4 million in the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. As a percentage of revenues, G&A expenses increased from 53.0% during the first quarter of fiscal 2026 to 54.7% during the first quarter of fiscal 2027. G&A expenses were negatively impacted by $4.6 million in CEO transition-related expenses. Personnel expense increased $5.1 million, or 11.1%, during the first quarter of fiscal 2027 as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Personnel expenses were negatively impacted by $4.3 million in CEO transition expenses. Salary expense increased approximately $2.5 million, or 7.8%, during the quarter ended June 30, 2026, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2025. Severance related costs increased salary expense by $2.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2026. Our headcount as of June 30, 2026, remained relatively flat compared to June 30, 2025. Benefit expense decreased approximately $1.0 million, or 10.6%, when comparing the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. Incentive expense increased $3.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The increase in incentive expense is primarily due to $2.0 million in CEO transition expense. Occupancy and equipment expense increased approximately $0.2 million, or 2.1%, when comparing the quarterly periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025. Advertising expense decreased $0.2 million, or 7.6%, in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2026 due to decreased spending on new customer acquisition programs. Interest expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, increased by $1.8 million, or 18.6%, from the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Interest expense primarily increased due to a 27.6% increase in average debt outstanding for the quarter, partially offset by a 6.3% decrease in the effective interest rate from 8.3% to 7.8%. The average debt outstanding increased from $456.2 million to $582.3 million, when comparing the quarters ended June 30, 2025 and 2026. The Company’s debt to equity ratio increased to 1.6:1 at June 30, 2026, compared to 1.1:1 at June 30, 2025. As of June 30, 2026, the Company had $572.8 million of debt outstanding. Other key return ratios for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 included a 3.6% return on average assets and a return on average equity of 10.6% (both on a trailing twelve-month basis). The Company repurchased 15,858 shares of its common stock at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $2.2 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2027. This is in addition to repurchases of 858,642 shares during fiscal 2026 at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $132.4 million. The Company repurchased 16.5% of its outstanding shares in fiscal 2026. As of June 30, 2026, the Company had approximately $10.0 million in aggregate remaining repurchase capacity under its current share repurchase program and $63.8 million in aggregate remaining repurchase capacity under the terms of its revolving credit facility (subject to further board approval). The Company repurchased 400,617 shares during fiscal 2025 at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $54.2 million. The Company had approximately 4.5 million common shares outstanding, excluding 140,250 unvested restricted shares, as of June 30, 2026. Non-GAAP financial measures From time-to-time the Company uses certain financial measures derived on a basis other than generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), primarily by excluding from a comparable GAAP measure certain items the Company does not consider to be representative of its actual operating performance. Such financial measures qualify as "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined in SEC rules. The Company uses these non-GAAP financial measures in operating its business because management believes they are less susceptible to variances in actual operating performance that can result from the excluded items and other infrequent charges. The Company may present these financial measures to investors because management believes they are useful to investors in evaluating the primary factors that drive the Company’s core operating performance and provide greater transparency into the Company’s results of operations. However, items that are excluded and other adjustments and assumptions that are made in calculating these non-GAAP financial measures are significant components to understanding and assessing the Company’s financial performance. Such non-GAAP financial measures should be evaluated in conjunction with, and are not a substitute for, the Company’s GAAP financial measures. Further, because these non-GAAP financial measures are not determined in accordance with GAAP and are, thus, susceptible to varying calculations, any non-GAAP financial measures, as presented, may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. For purposes of assessing performance, the Company will present adjusted net income and adjusted net income per diluted share to remove the after-tax impact of the CEO transition expense from the corresponding GAAP earnings metrics. Management believes these non-GAAP measures provide investors with useful supplemental information regarding the Company's operating performance by excluding an item management does not consider indicative of ongoing operations. This measure has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP earnings or other income statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. The following table reconciles GAAP net income to Adjusted net income: About World Acceptance Corporation (World Finance) Founded in 1962, World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD), is a people-focused finance company that provides personal installment loan solutions and personal tax preparation and filing services to over one million customers each year. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, the Company operates more than 1,000 community-based World Finance branches across 16 states. The Company primarily serves a segment of the population that does not have ready access to credit; however, unlike many other lenders in this segment, we strive to work with our customers to understand their broader financial pictures, ensure they have the ability and stability to make payments, and help them achieve their financial goals. For more information, visit www.loansbyworld.com. First quarter conference call The senior management of World Acceptance Corporation will be discussing these results in its quarterly conference call to be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. A simulcast of the conference call will be available on the Internet at https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=5a6pOxq2. The call will be available for replay on the Internet for approximately 30 days. During the conference call, the Company may discuss and answer questions concerning business and financial developments and trends that have occurred after quarter-end. The Company’s responses to questions, as well as other matters discussed during the conference call, may contain or constitute information that has not been disclosed previously. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This press release may contain various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that represent the Company’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Statements other than those of historical fact, as well as those identified by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "expect," "project," "believe," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "probable" and any variation of the foregoing and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results or performance to differ from the expectations expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include the following: recently enacted, proposed or future legislation and the manner in which it is implemented, including pursuant to policies of the current U.S. administration; changes in the U.S. tax code; the nature and scope of regulatory authority, particularly discretionary authority, that is or may be exercised by regulators, including, but not limited to, U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and individual state regulators having jurisdiction over the Company; the unpredictable nature of regulatory examinations, proceedings and litigation; employee misconduct or misconduct by third parties; uncertainties associated with management turnover and the effective succession of senior management, including the recent CEO transition and ongoing search for a permanent replacement; media and public characterization of consumer installment loans; labor unrest; the impact of changes in accounting rules and regulations, or their interpretation or application, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s reported consolidated financial statements or necessitate material delays or changes in the issuance of the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements; the Company's assessment of its internal control over financial reporting; changes in interest rates; the impact of inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty; political and other risks, including the impact of wars, geopolitical conflict, regional conflicts and terrorism; risks relating to the acquisition or sale of assets or businesses or other strategic initiatives, including increased loan delinquencies or net charge-offs, the loss of key personnel, integration or migration issues, the failure to achieve anticipated synergies, increased costs of servicing, incomplete records, and retention of customers; risks inherent in making loans, including repayment risks and value of collateral; cybersecurity threats or incidents, including the potential or actual misappropriation of assets or sensitive information, corruption of data or operational disruption and the cost of the associated response thereto; our dependence on debt and the potential impact of limitations in the Company’s revolving credit facility and warehouse facility or other impacts on the Company's ability to borrow money on favorable terms, or at all; the timing and amount of revenues that may be recognized by the Company; changes in current revenue and expense trends (including trends affecting delinquency and charge-offs); the impact of extreme weather events and natural disasters; changes in the Company’s markets and general changes in the economy (particularly in the markets served by the Company). These and other factors are discussed in greater detail in Part I, Item 1A,"Risk Factors" in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, as filed with the SEC and the Company’s other reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC from time to time. World Acceptance Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements it makes. The Company is also not responsible for updating the information contained in this press release beyond the publication date, or for changes made to this document by wire services or Internet services. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260724682807/en/ Contacts John L. Calmes, Jr.Executive VP, Chief Financial & Strategy Officer, and Treasurer(864) 298-9800

Interested in World Acceptance Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better. World Acceptance reported fiscal Q1 adjusted EPS of $2.12, helped by 4.8% revenue growth and a 13.4% decline in provision expense. Credit quality improved, with the annualized net charge-off rate falling to 18.2% from 19.2% a year earlier and front-end delinquency also easing. Management said underwriting was tightened about six months ago and only modestly loosened recently, but the company still views its credit posture as conservative and demand as “pretty robust.” World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $2.12, supported by higher revenue, lower provision expense and continued improvement in portfolio credit metrics, according to comments from Chief Financial and Chief Strategy Officer John Kalmes during the company’s earnings call. Kalmes said first-quarter revenue increased 4.8% from the prior-year period, driven by continued year-over-year growth in the loan portfolio and a 91-basis-point increase in interest and insurance yields. Provision expense declined 13.4% year over year, contributing to the quarter’s earnings performance. → Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver? “This quarter reflects steady progress against our core priorities: growing the loan portfolio responsibly, improving credit quality, and maintaining a disciplined approach to expenses,” Kalmes said. The company reported an annualized net charge-off rate of 18.2% for the quarter, down from 19.2% in the first quarter of the prior fiscal year. Kalmes also cited improvement in both front-end and back-end delinquency. → GE Vernova Just Sent a Mixed AI Signal to Investors Front-end delinquency declined to 18.1% from 19.2% a year earlier. Kalmes said the credit trends supported management’s confidence in the health of the portfolio and in the company’s underwriting practices. On expenses, Kalmes said general and administrative costs increased modestly when excluding one-time costs related to the CEO transition. He said the company expects to continue its disciplined approach to expenses. → D-Wave Quantum or a Quantum ETF: Which Is the Better Bet? Chief Operating Officer Tobin Turner said World Acceptance tightened its credit standards about six months ago, a move that coincided with rising gasoline prices. The company has been pleased with how the portfolio has aged following those changes, he said. About a month ago, the company began generally loosening its underwriting standards somewhat, according to Turner. However, he said the company remains conservative, particularly as gasoline prices have continued to rise. “We’re more open than we were five months ago,” Turner said, “we’re still pretty conservative.” Credit standards were tightened roughly six months ago. The company began modestly loosening underwriting about one month ago. Management said its current underwriting posture remains conservative. Responding to a question about customer demand, Turner said demand has been “pretty robust” for the company. He noted that bookable applications have decreased somewhat in conjunction with the tighter credit box, but management has not observed a broader decline in demand. Turner said the company remains comfortable with demand conditions despite factors including large tax refunds and higher gasoline prices. He did not provide specific application, loan originations or portfolio-growth figures during the call. Kalmes closed the call by thanking employees for their work serving customers and said the company believes it is well positioned for the remainder of fiscal 2027. World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) is a consumer finance company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1972, the company provides credit solutions to underserved customers who may have limited access to traditional banking services. Over the decades, World Acceptance has built a reputation for tailored lending that emphasizes responsible underwriting and personalized customer service. The company's core product offerings include short-term installment loans designed to meet the immediate financial needs of its clients. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "World Acceptance Q1 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for July 2026.

Q4 EPS $7.70 on revenue up 7.4% as higher yields and loan growth drove results, with management saying the company is "positioned very well" entering fiscal 2027. Loans outstanding +4.4% and delinquency improved, as management plans to rely less on new customers to support credit metrics and is monitoring higher gas prices but has not seen a significant hit yet. Share repurchases $37.8M (about 16.5% of beginning-of-year shares) while targeting mid‑single‑digit loan growth; personnel expense for the first three quarters of fiscal 2027 is expected to be $47–49 million. Interested in World Acceptance Corporation? Here are five stocks we like better. World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) reported fourth quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $7.70, supported by higher revenue and loan growth, while management said the company is entering fiscal 2027 “positioned very well” despite watching consumer pressures such as elevated gas prices. On the call, Interim President and CEO Janet Matricciani said she rejoined the company on April 13 and is “pleased to be leading the team as we strengthen and grow our company.” She added she looks forward to providing more detail in coming quarters. → Corning Beats Q1 Estimates but Drops 9% on Guidance Miss Chief Financial Officer John L. Calmes, Jr. said the quarter’s EPS included “the impact of one of our senior executives retiring,” which had an after-tax impact of about $0.25 per share. Total revenue increased 7.4% in the quarter, which Calmes attributed to “an increase in loans outstanding and yields.” Interest, fee and insurance income rose 5.4%, and Calmes said the company expects “similar increases in the coming quarters.” → Is Oracle Undervalued as Cloud Growth Accelerates? Calmes said the company increased loans outstanding by 4.4% while reducing delinquency “in both rate and dollars.” He said that combination “should lead to higher revenues and lower charge-offs in the coming quarters.” Management also signaled a shift in how growth will be pursued. Calmes said World Acceptance “intend[s] to rely less on new customers in the coming year,” adding that the approach “should have a positive impact on credit metrics.” → Meta Posted Its Best Sales Growth Since 2021—So Why Did Shares Fall? Calmes highlighted a strong tax preparation period, stating the company saw “returns prepared increase 13%” and calling it a “fantastic tax preparation season.” During the question-and-answer session, Stephens Managing Director Kyle Joseph asked about macroeconomic conditions, including the impact of larger tax refunds on demand and credit, and whether higher gas prices in March had offset those benefits. Chief Operating Officer Tobin Turner said the company is monitoring recent loan vintages closely and is “fairly pleased with their performance.” He said the company has been “watching our credit box around the margin pretty tightly,” and while high gas prices are “definitely on our radar,” he added the company is not “seeing a significant impact” in the most recent vintages “at least yet.” Calmes echoed that view, pointing to improving delinquency trends. “Our front-end delinquency and back-end delinquency looks really strong and improving over March of last year,” he said, while adding the company is continuing to watch for potential impacts. Calmes said World Acceptance increased field personnel in the third fiscal quarter to address service gaps, then reduced field headcount by 5% in the fourth quarter. He said the move should reduce personnel expense in coming quarters compared with the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2026. For fiscal 2027, Calmes provided an expense range, saying personnel expense is expected to be between $47 million and $49 million in the first three quarters, and “slightly higher than that in the fourth quarter.” Calmes said the company repurchased $37.8 million of shares during the quarter. Combined with repurchases earlier in the fiscal year, he said the activity equated to 16.5% of outstanding shares at the beginning of the year. Joseph also asked about leverage limitations and how much growth the company can pursue while balancing share repurchases. Calmes said, “there’s no leverage limitations,” and described an overarching growth objective of “mid-single-digit” loan growth, “maybe a little higher.” In closing remarks, Matricciani thanked participants for their interest in the company and said management looks forward to “our path ahead.” World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) is a consumer finance company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1972, the company provides credit solutions to underserved customers who may have limited access to traditional banking services. Over the decades, World Acceptance has built a reputation for tailored lending that emphasizes responsible underwriting and personalized customer service. The company's core product offerings include short-term installment loans designed to meet the immediate financial needs of its clients. The article "World Acceptance Q4 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat.

GREENVILLE, S.C., April 30, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) today reported financial results for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. Fourth fiscal quarter highlights Following a period of economic uncertainty and elevated inflation, the Company took decisive action to tighten underwriting standards dramatically in an effort to manage conservatively through the lending environment and focus on improvement to overall portfolio credit quality. As a result, outstanding balances declined each year from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2025. During fiscal 2025, however, we shifted strategy to reintroduce targeted portfolio growth. We are pleased to report that for the third consecutive quarter, outstanding loans increased year over year. Excluding acquisitions, organic growth increased 4.9% and our unique customer base grew 3.5% compared to the same quarter last fiscal year. To reverse the prior trend of declining balances while maintaining high credit quality, we had been focused on new customers with higher credit quality and, during the third quarter of fiscal 2026, we increased new customers as a percentage of the portfolio from 6.4% as of September 30, 2024 to 9.9% as of December 31, 2025. While these new customers continue to perform well, new customers carry a substantially higher reserve for loan losses under our allowance methodology than existing customers. Having increased the new customer funnel for several consecutive quarters, we are now in a position to decelerate new customer growth and focus on overall portfolio health while allowing these new customers to season. As of March 31, 2026, new customers decreased to 8.2% as the portfolio begins to mature. We expect that our portfolio will continue to deliver results in the coming fiscal year as we pursue growth with a lower proportion of new customers. As the customer base matures and growth becomes more broadly distributed across customer types, we anticipate lower charge-offs, reduced reserve rates, and improved profitability. Highlights from the fourth quarter include: Net income per diluted share of $7.70 in the fourth quarter; Interest, fee, and insurance income increased $7.0 million, or 5.4%, including a 146 basis point yield increase, compared to the same quarter in the prior year; Increased gross loans outstanding 4.4% from March 31, 2025; Decreased loans 0-60 days past due on a recency basis from 18.7% as of March 31, 2025 to 17.0% as of March 31, 2026; and Decreased loans 61 days or more past due on a recency basis from 6.0% as of March 31, 2025 to 5.6% as of March 31, 2026. Portfolio results Gross loans outstanding were $1.28 billion as of March 31, 2026, a 4.4% increase from the $1.23 billion of gross loans outstanding as of March 31, 2025. This represents a substantial improvement from shrinking 4.0% year over year as of March 31, 2025. During the most recent quarter, our former and current customer borrowing increased compared to the same quarter of fiscal year 2025. Former and refinanced customer loan volume increased 5.4% and 26.9%, respectively, compared to the same quarter of fiscal year 2025. Our customer base increased by 2.5% during the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2026, compared to an increase of 3.5% for the comparable period ended March 31, 2025. The following table includes the volume of gross loan origination balances, excluding tax advance loans, by customer type for the following comparative quarterly periods: As of March 31, 2026, the Company had 1,009 open branches. For branches open at least twelve months, same store gross loans increased 4.9% in the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2026, compared to a 2.5% decrease for the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2025. For branches open throughout both periods, the customer base over the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2026 increased 3.2%, compared to an increase of 5.1% for the twelve-month period ended March 31, 2025. Three-month financial results The fourth quarter's $36.5 million net income was a $7.8 million decrease from net income of $44.3 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Net income per diluted share was $7.70 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, as compared to net income per diluted share of $8.13 for the same quarter of the prior year. The fourth quarter included $4.8 million in share based compensation expense, which is a $5.9 million increase compared to the same quarter of the prior year. Total revenues for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 increased to $177.6 million, a 7.4% increase from $165.3 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Interest and fee income increased 5.9%, from $117.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 to $124.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. Insurance income remained relatively flat at $11.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. The large loan portfolio decreased from 48.5% of the overall portfolio as of March 31, 2025, to 44.7% as of March 31, 2026. Interest and insurance yields for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 increased 146 basis points as compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025. Other income increased $5.3 million, or 14.7%, to $41.2 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, as compared to $35.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Revenues from our tax return preparation business increased $5.3 million, or 15.9%, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 primarily due to an increase in the number of returns prepared. The Company accrues for expected losses with a current expected credit loss ("CECL") methodology, which requires us to create a provision for credit losses on the day we originate the loan. The provision for credit losses increased $3.8 million to $36.8 million, from $33.0 million when comparing the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. The table below itemizes the key components of the CECL allowance and provision impact during the quarter. The provision was negatively impacted by an increase in net charge-offs and lower run-off during the quarter. Net charge-offs for the quarter increased $1.6 million, from $45.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, to $47.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. Net charge-offs as a percentage of average net loans receivable on an annualized basis increased to 18.7% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 from 18.5% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Accounts 61 days or more past due decreased to 5.6% on a recency basis at March 31, 2026, compared to 6.0% at March 31, 2025. Our allowance for credit losses as a percentage of net loans receivable was 11.7% at March 31, 2026, compared to 11.3% at March 31, 2025. Recency delinquency on accounts 0 to 60 days past due decreased from 18.7% at March 31, 2025, to 17.0% at March 31, 2026. The table below has been updated to reflect the customer tenure-based methodology, which aligns with our CECL methodology and illustrates changes in portfolio weighting. General and administrative ("G&A") expenses increased $15.6 million, or 23.6%, to $81.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $65.9 million in the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. As a percentage of revenues, G&A expenses increased from 39.9% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, to 45.9% during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. G&A expenses per average open branch increased by 25.9%, when comparing the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Personnel expense increased $13.7 million, or 33.2%, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Salary expense increased approximately $2.8 million, or 8.7%, during the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2025. Our headcount as of March 31, 2026 increased 2.4% compared to March 31, 2025. During the third quarter of the current fiscal year, the Company hired branch personnel aggressively to fill service gaps in our operations. During the current quarter, we right sized our headcount and are excited about our talent improvement in the field. Excluding severance expense, our salary expense in the month of March 2026 decreased approximately $1.0 million compared to our salary expense in the month of December 2025. Benefit expense increased approximately $3.6 million, or 62.4%, when comparing the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. The increase was largely driven by a one-time rebate received in the prior-year quarter. Incentive expense increased $7.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. The increase in incentive expense is primarily due to a $5.9 million increase in share based compensation expense. Share based compensation expense increased primarily due to the $3.5 million partial reversal of expense associated with the forfeiture of certain performance shares (which had a $16.35 trailing four-quarter EPS target) in the prior-year quarter as well as share based compensation associated with grants issued in June of 2025. Occupancy and equipment expense remained relatively flat at $12.3 million when comparing the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. Advertising expense increased $1.1 million, or 81.7%, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 due to increased spending on customer acquisition programs for our tax preparation program. Interest expense for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 increased by $1.5 million, or 13.4%, from the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Interest expense primarily increased due to a 23.0% increase in average debt outstanding for the quarter, partially offset by a 6.3% decrease in the effective interest rate from 8.3% to 7.7%. The average debt outstanding increased from $529.2 million to $651.0 million, when comparing the quarters ended March 31, 2025 and 2026. The Company’s debt to equity ratio increased to 1.7:1 at March 31, 2026, compared to 1.0:1 at March 31, 2025. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had $587.2 million of debt outstanding. Other key return ratios for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 included a 3.3% return on average assets and a return on average equity of 9.0% (both on a trailing twelve-month basis). The Company repurchased 282,607 shares, or 5.9% of its outstanding common stock, at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $37.8 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026. This is in addition to repurchases of 576,035 shares during the first three quarters of fiscal 2026 at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $94.6 million. The Company has repurchased 16.5% of its outstanding shares in fiscal 2026. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had approximately $12.2 million in aggregate remaining repurchase capacity under its current share repurchase program and $59.9 million in aggregate remaining repurchase capacity under the terms of its revolving credit facility. The Company repurchased 400,617 shares during fiscal 2025 at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $54.2 million. The Company had approximately 4.5 million common shares outstanding, excluding 172,500 unvested restricted shares, as of March 31, 2026. Twelve-month financial results Net income for the year ended March 31, 2026 decreased $54.7 million to $35.0 million compared to a net income of $89.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2025. This resulted in net income of $6.97 per diluted share for the year ended March 31, 2026, compared to $16.30 per diluted share in the prior-year period. Total revenues for fiscal 2026 increased 3.7% to $585.7 million, compared to $564.8 million during the corresponding period of the previous year primarily due to an increase in loans outstanding. Annualized net charge-offs as a percentage of average net loans increased from 17.5% during fiscal 2025 to 18.5% for fiscal 2026. About World Acceptance Corporation (World Finance) Founded in 1962, World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD), is a people-focused finance company that provides personal installment loan solutions and personal tax preparation and filing services to over one million customers each year. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, the Company operates more than 1,000 community-based World Finance branches across 16 states. The Company primarily serves a segment of the population that does not have ready access to credit; however, unlike many other lenders in this segment, we strive to work with our customers to understand their broader financial pictures, ensure they have the ability and stability to make payments, and help them achieve their financial goals. For more information, visit www.loansbyworld.com. Fourth quarter conference call The senior management of World Acceptance Corporation will be discussing these results in its quarterly conference call to be held at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. A simulcast of the conference call will be available on the Internet at https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=GzwQl9KE. The call will be available for replay on the Internet for approximately 30 days. During the conference call, the Company may discuss and answer questions concerning business and financial developments and trends that have occurred after quarter-end. The Company’s responses to questions, as well as other matters discussed during the conference call, may contain or constitute information that has not been disclosed previously. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information This press release may contain various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that represent the Company’s current expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Statements other than those of historical fact, as well as those identified by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "expect," "project," "believe," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "probable" and any variation of the foregoing and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results or performance to differ from the expectations expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include the following: recently enacted, proposed or future legislation and the manner in which it is implemented, including pursuant to policies of the current U.S. administration; changes in the U.S. tax code; the nature and scope of regulatory authority, particularly discretionary authority, that is or may be exercised by regulators, including, but not limited to, U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and individual state regulators having jurisdiction over the Company; the unpredictable nature of regulatory examinations, proceedings and litigation; employee misconduct or misconduct by third parties; uncertainties associated with management turnover and the effective succession of senior management; media and public characterization of consumer installment loans; labor unrest; the impact of changes in accounting rules and regulations, or their interpretation or application, which could materially and adversely affect the Company’s reported consolidated financial statements or necessitate material delays or changes in the issuance of the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements; the Company's assessment of its internal control over financial reporting; changes in interest rates; the impact of inflation; political and other risks, including the impact of wars, geopolitical conflict, regional conflicts and terrorism; risks relating to the acquisition or sale of assets or businesses or other strategic initiatives, including increased loan delinquencies or net charge-offs, the loss of key personnel, integration or migration issues, the failure to achieve anticipated synergies, increased costs of servicing, incomplete records, and retention of customers; risks inherent in making loans, including repayment risks and value of collateral; cybersecurity threats or incidents, including the potential or actual misappropriation of assets or sensitive information, corruption of data or operational disruption and the cost of the associated response thereto; our dependence on debt and the potential impact of limitations in the Company’s amended revolving credit facility or other impacts on the Company's ability to borrow money on favorable terms, or at all; the timing and amount of revenues that may be recognized by the Company; changes in current revenue and expense trends (including trends affecting delinquency and charge-offs); the impact of extreme weather events and natural disasters; changes in the Company’s markets and general changes in the economy (particularly in the markets served by the Company). These and other factors are discussed in greater detail in Part I, Item 1A,"Risk Factors" in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, as filed with the SEC and the Company’s other reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC from time to time. World Acceptance Corporation does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements it makes. The Company is also not responsible for updating the information contained in this press release beyond the publication date, or for changes made to this document by wire services or Internet services. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260430038975/en/ Contacts John L. Calmes, Jr. Executive VP, Chief Financial & Strategy Officer, and Treasurer (864) 298-9800