Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) from "hold" to strong-buy, but the analyst consensus still averages a "Hold" rating with a mean price target of $17.30.
• Afya reported quarterly EPS of $0.41, beating estimates by $0.05, while revenue missed at $147.08M versus $174.74M; the stock trades around $14.94 with a market cap of about $1.4B and a P/E of 10.23.
• CEO Virgilio Deloy Capobian Gibbon sold 20,900 shares (a 16.06% reduction in his stake), and insiders sold 48,190 shares totaling roughly $721,821 over the last quarter.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Afya from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Afya to a "market perform" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $22.00 price target (down from $24.50) on shares of Afya in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Afya in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Bank of America lowered Afya from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $22.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $17.30.

Afya Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:AFYA opened at $14.94 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 2.20. Afya has a 1 year low of $13.00 and a 1 year high of $19.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.23, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 0.48. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.69.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.05. Afya had a return on equity of 18.77% and a net margin of 20.31%.The business had revenue of $147.08 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $174.74 million. Equities analysts forecast that Afya will post 1.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Afya news, CEO Virgilio Deloy Capobian Gibbon sold 20,900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.94, for a total value of $312,246.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 109,218 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,631,716.92. This represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 48,190 shares of company stock worth $721,821. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Afya

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFYA. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Afya in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Militia Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Afya in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Afya in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $117,000. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in shares of Afya by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 10,170 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,000 after purchasing an additional 1,377 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Afya in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $164,000. 88.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Afya

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya's offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.

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