StockNews.com Downgrades Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) to Hold

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Friday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Barrington Research upped their price objective on Grand Canyon Education from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $152.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $170.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th.

Grand Canyon Education Price Performance

LOPE stock opened at $159.62 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $142.39 and a 200-day moving average of $142.92. Grand Canyon Education has a fifty-two week low of $118.48 and a fifty-two week high of $173.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.70.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $238.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $239.69 million. Grand Canyon Education had a net margin of 22.09% and a return on equity of 31.01%. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.26 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Grand Canyon Education will post 8.03 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Grand Canyon Education

In other news, CTO Dilek Marsh sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.23, for a total transaction of $211,845.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 22,674 shares in the company, valued at $3,202,249.02. The trade was a 6.21 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Grand Canyon Education

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Grand Canyon Education during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Grand Canyon Education by 14,150.0% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 285 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the 3rd quarter valued at about $60,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 710.7% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 608 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 533 shares in the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Grand Canyon Education Company Profile

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides education services to colleges and universities in the United States. It offers technology services, including learning management system, internal administration, infrastructure, and support services; academic services, such as program and curriculum, faculty and related training and development, class scheduling, and skills and simulation lab sites; and counseling services and support services comprising admission, financial aid, and field experience and other counseling services.