Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC Lowers Position in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE)

Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC lowered its position in shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE - Free Report) by 85.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,526 shares of the company's stock after selling 48,589 shares during the period. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC's holdings in Grand Canyon Education were worth $1,397,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LOPE. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter valued at about $421,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter valued at about $255,000. Postrock Partners LLC bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,715,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Grand Canyon Education by 10.7% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 37,523 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,014,000 after purchasing an additional 3,630 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Grand Canyon Education by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 167,206 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,388,000 after purchasing an additional 9,083 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOPE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barrington Research boosted their price target on Grand Canyon Education from $205.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Grand Canyon Education from $181.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Grand Canyon Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th.

Grand Canyon Education Trading Up 0.9%

LOPE traded up $1.70 on Friday, hitting $197.44. 166,225 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 180,250. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $130.69 and a fifty-two week high of $202.28. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $177.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $171.45. The stock has a market cap of $5.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.80.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.51 by $0.06. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 30.67% and a net margin of 21.90%. The business had revenue of $289.31 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $287.18 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.35 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.81 EPS for the current year.

About Grand Canyon Education

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.