Candriam S.C.A. Trims Stake in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. $LOPE

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. sharply reduced its position in Grand Canyon Education, cutting its stake by 93.6% in the first quarter and selling 36,737 shares. After the trim, it held 2,531 shares valued at about $430,000.
• Grand Canyon Education beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting EPS of $2.86 versus the $2.78 consensus. Revenue came in at $308.76 million, up 6.7% from a year earlier.
• Analysts remain cautiously positive on LOPE, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.67. However, some firms have recently lowered targets, including BMO Capital Markets and Truist Financial.

Candriam S.C.A. cut its stake in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE - Free Report) by 93.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,531 shares of the company's stock after selling 36,737 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Grand Canyon Education were worth $430,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LOPE. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 70.7% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank acquired a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the first quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG increased its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 48.9% in the first quarter. Leonteq Securities AG now owns 195 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.17% of the company's stock.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LOPE opened at $141.77 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $3.76 billion, a PE ratio of 17.72, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $151.34 and a 200 day moving average of $162.29. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a one year low of $138.34 and a one year high of $223.04.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $2.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.78 by $0.08. Grand Canyon Education had a net margin of 19.54% and a return on equity of 34.72%. The business had revenue of $308.76 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.75 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.57 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 10.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOPE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Weiss Ratings cut Grand Canyon Education from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Grand Canyon Education from $198.00 to $185.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a report on Thursday, April 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $171.67.

About Grand Canyon Education

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides a suite of higher‐education services through a long-term agreement with Grand Canyon University (GCU), one of the nation's largest private Christian universities. The company's offerings encompass a full range of academic and operational support functions, including enrollment management, student recruitment, curriculum development, instructional delivery, and technology infrastructure. Through its online program management capabilities, Grand Canyon Education helps design, market and deliver undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs to meet the needs of both traditional and non‐traditional learners.

Core services include digital marketing, admissions support, student success coaching, learning management systems and faculty recruitment.

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