Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) Reaches New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Grand Canyon Education hit a new 52-week low, trading as low as $139.55 intraday before last changing hands around $146.23, down from the prior close of $149.00.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $171.67, though some firms recently lowered their targets.
• The company’s latest earnings beat expectations, posting $2.86 EPS versus the $2.78 estimate and revenue of $308.76 million, while institutional ownership remains very high at 94.17%.

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $139.55 and last traded at $146.2330, with a volume of 164129 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $149.00.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Grand Canyon Education Trading Down 6.4%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $151.79 and a 200-day moving average of $162.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.57.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.78 by $0.08. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 34.72% and a net margin of 19.54%.The firm had revenue of $308.76 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $307.75 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.57 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 10.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Grand Canyon Education

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 4,339.5% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $330,000 after acquiring an additional 1,866 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 14.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 115,508 shares of the company's stock worth $19,985,000 after purchasing an additional 15,019 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Grand Canyon Education by 2.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 7,925 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,371,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Grand Canyon Education by 7.3% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 123,214 shares of the company's stock worth $21,318,000 after purchasing an additional 8,421 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in Grand Canyon Education by 156.9% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 37,350 shares of the company's stock worth $6,462,000 after purchasing an additional 22,812 shares during the period. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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