31,620 Grand Canyon Education, Inc. $LOPE Shares Acquired by Bridge City Capital LLC

Key Points

• Bridge City Capital increased its Grand Canyon Education stake by 138.6% in the third quarter, acquiring 31,620 additional shares for a total of 54,437 shares valued at approximately $8.25 million.
• Institutional investors collectively own 94.17% of LOPE, with several major funds—including BlackRock, Reinhart Partners, William Blair, Wasatch Advisors, and Quantinno Capital—also increasing or initiating positions.
• Grand Canyon Education recently exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.81 in EPS and $264.05 million in revenue. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $160.67, compared with a recent share price of $147.88.

Bridge City Capital LLC raised its position in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE - Free Report) by 138.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 54,437 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 31,620 shares during the period. Grand Canyon Education comprises approximately 1.7% of Bridge City Capital LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Bridge City Capital LLC owned 0.21% of Grand Canyon Education worth $8,252,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Grand Canyon Education in the second quarter worth $397,654,000. Reinhart Partners LLC. raised its stake in Grand Canyon Education by 22.9% during the 3rd quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. now owns 1,085,326 shares of the company's stock valued at $164,525,000 after purchasing an additional 202,399 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the second quarter valued at $148,667,000. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its position in Grand Canyon Education by 24.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 391,960 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,093,000 after buying an additional 75,758 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 27.0% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 329,160 shares of the company's stock worth $55,967,000 after acquiring an additional 70,048 shares in the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LOPE opened at $147.88 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $153.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $157.60. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a 52 week low of $134.27 and a 52 week high of $208.89. The stock has a market cap of $3.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.88, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.66.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $264.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $261.87 million. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 36.62% and a net margin of 19.63%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.53 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 10.22 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOPE has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $185.00 to $182.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered Grand Canyon Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, August 9th. Finally, Barrington Research set a $200.00 price target on Grand Canyon Education in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $160.67.

Grand Canyon Education Profile

Grand Canyon Education, Inc NASDAQ: LOPE is an education services company that provides technology, operational and support services to colleges and universities. Rather than operating primarily as a traditional university, the company partners with higher education institutions to help them deliver online, hybrid and campus-based academic programs.

Its services include learning technology, digital course development, data analytics, marketing, student enrollment and support, financial aid assistance, faculty support, and other administrative functions.

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