Meeder Asset Management Inc. Invests $554,000 in 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 position in Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 6,595 shares of the health services provider's stock, valued at approximately $554,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of STRA. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Strategic Education in the fourth quarter worth $1,708,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Strategic Education by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 2,777 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 329 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Strategic Education by 19.5% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 37,874 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $3,538,000 after acquiring an additional 6,180 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in Strategic Education in the 4th quarter worth $701,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Strategic Education by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,793,685 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $260,986,000 after acquiring an additional 45,421 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on STRA shares. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target 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 downgraded shares of Strategic Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Truist Financial set a $105.00 price target on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Barrington Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Wednesday.

Strategic Education Stock Up 1.0%

Strategic Education stock traded up $0.74 on Friday, hitting $74.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 225,967 shares, compared to its average volume of 193,692. The firm has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $83.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $86.48. Strategic Education Inc. has a one year low of $72.25 and a one year high of $104.51.

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

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

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

About Strategic Education

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.