Hsbc Holdings PLC Purchases 4,334 Shares of Strategic Education Inc. $STRA

Key Points

• Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in Strategic Education Inc. by 167.9%, acquiring an additional 4,334 shares, bringing its total to 6,916 shares valued at approximately $583,000.
• Strategic Education announced a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, with an annualized yield of 3.0%, to be paid on September 15th.
• Several analysts provided mixed ratings on Strategic Education, with BMO Capital lowering the price objective to $88 while Barrington Research maintained a target of $105, indicating a consensus rating of "Buy."

Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in shares of Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA - Free Report) by 167.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,916 shares of the health services provider's stock after buying an additional 4,334 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC's holdings in Strategic Education were worth $583,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Significant Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Strategic Education by 17.3% in the 1st 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. NBC Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Strategic Education by 105,000.0% during the first quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 3,153 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $264,000 after purchasing an additional 3,150 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 36.7% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,251 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 872 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP grew its position in Strategic Education by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,111 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 566 shares during the period. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its position in Strategic Education by 90.3% in the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 4,425 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $413,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on STRA. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Strategic Education from $98.00 to $88.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Strategic Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Strategic Education has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $99.33.

Strategic Education Stock Performance

Shares of STRA stock opened at $81.35 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.91, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.69. Strategic Education Inc. has a 52-week low of $72.25 and a 52-week high of $104.51. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $80.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.64.

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

Strategic Education Announces Dividend

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 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 5th. Strategic Education's dividend payout ratio is 49.90%.

Insider Transactions at Strategic Education

In other news, Director G Thomas Waite III sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.69, for a total transaction of $57,183.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 15,926 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,300,994.94. This trade represents a 4.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 3.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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