Meeder Asset Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 6,595 Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA)

Key Points

• Meeder Asset Management Inc. has acquired 6,595 shares of Strategic Education Inc., valued at approximately $554,000, marking significant institutional interest in the health services provider.
• Analysts are optimistic about Strategic Education, with several firms setting price targets ranging from $98.00 to $105.00, indicating a positive outlook for the stock.
• The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, yielding 3.02%, suggesting a commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 6,595 shares of the health services provider's stock, valued at approximately $554,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 809.1% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 700 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 44.0% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,431 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $134,000 after buying an additional 437 shares during the period. Significant Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Strategic Education by 17.3% during the first quarter. Significant Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $226,000 after acquiring an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Strategic Education by 13.4% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,777 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the period. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. lifted its stake in Strategic Education by 105,000.0% in the first quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 3,153 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 3,150 shares in the last quarter. 93.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on STRA shares. Truist Financial set a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on shares of Strategic Education from $98.00 to $88.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Strategic Education from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a research report on Wednesday.

Strategic Education Price Performance

STRA stock traded up $0.74 during trading on Friday, reaching $74.88. 225,967 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 193,692. Strategic Education Inc. has a twelve month low of $72.25 and a twelve month high of $104.51. The company has a 50-day moving average of $83.43 and a two-hundred day moving average of $86.55. The company has a market capitalization of $1.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.58.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 30th. The health services provider reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $321.47 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $322.84 million. Strategic Education had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 7.52%. Strategic Education's quarterly revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.33 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Strategic Education Inc. will post 4.79 EPS for the current year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 5th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 5th. Strategic Education's dividend payout ratio is 49.90%.

Strategic Education Company Profile

Strategic Education, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides education services through campus-based and online post-secondary education, and programs to develop job-ready skills. The company operates through U.S. Higher Education, Australia/New Zealand, and Education Technology Services segments. It operates Strayer University that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, criminal justice, education, health services, information technology, and public administration at physical campuses located in the eastern United States, as well as through online; non-degree web and mobile application development courses through Hackbright Academy and Devmountain; and MBA online through its Jack Welch Management Institute.