Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• PXED shares saw a 59% jump in mid-day trading volume, with approximately 167,077 shares changing hands, while the stock traded near $28.24.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook: four rate the stock a Buy and three a Hold, producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $41.60.
• Phoenix Education Partners exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.43 in EPS versus a $1.28 estimate, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share, yielding about 2.9% annually.

Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. (NYSE:PXED - Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 167,077 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 59% from the previous session's volume of 104,989 shares.The stock last traded at $28.2420 and had previously closed at $28.53.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on PXED shares. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Phoenix Education Partners from $39.00 to $36.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. B. Riley Financial dropped their price target on shares of Phoenix Education Partners from $54.00 to $51.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Phoenix Education Partners from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $41.60.

Phoenix Education Partners Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $31.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $30.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.44.

Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $271.80 million during the quarter. Phoenix Education Partners had a return on equity of 60.06% and a net margin of 8.18%. As a group, analysts predict that Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. will post 4.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Phoenix Education Partners Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 29th. Phoenix Education Partners's payout ratio is presently 39.07%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Phoenix Education Partners during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey acquired a new stake in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter worth about $89,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter worth about $92,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Phoenix Education Partners during the 1st quarter worth about $151,000.

About Phoenix Education Partners

Our Mission To provide access to higher education opportunities that enable students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their professional goals, improve the performance of their organizations and provide leadership and service to their communities. We are a mission-driven organization operating at the forefront of the rapidly evolving post-secondary education market. As one of the largest online education providers and a pioneer in our field, we benefit from the dynamic interplay between technological innovation, education, employment and economic trends.

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