Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Makes New $1.09 Million Investment in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. $LOPE

Key Points

• Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE), buying 6,536 shares worth approximately $1.09 million in Q4 according to its 13F filing.
• Institutional ownership is very high at 94.17%, with multiple funds increasing stakes in Q4—most notably the State of Alaska Department of Revenue, which raised its holding by 252.6% to 16,106 shares.
• Analysts hold a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $220; LOPE recently posted a slight earnings beat (EPS $3.21 vs. $3.19) and displays strong profitability (ROE 33.28%, net margin 19.54%).

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 6,536 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,087,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Merit Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 34.5% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 1,684 shares of the company's stock valued at $280,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Grand Canyon Education by 128.8% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 7,213 shares of the company's stock worth $1,200,000 after purchasing an additional 4,060 shares during the period. Childress Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the 4th quarter valued at about $218,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 252.6% during the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 16,106 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,676,000 after buying an additional 11,538 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Burney Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Burney Co. now owns 3,873 shares of the company's stock valued at $644,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. 94.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOPE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Grand Canyon Education currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $220.00.

Grand Canyon Education Trading Up 1.7%

NASDAQ:LOPE opened at $174.92 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $165.25 and a two-hundred day moving average of $173.80. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a 12 month low of $149.37 and a 12 month high of $223.04. The firm has a market cap of $4.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.67.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $3.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.19 by $0.02. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 33.28% and a net margin of 19.54%.The business had revenue of $308.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.95 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Grand Canyon Education Company Profile

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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