Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) Shares Down 14.2% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Phoenix Education Partners shares fell 14.2% in mid-day trading, closing well below the prior day’s level amid lighter-than-normal volume.
• Despite the drop, the company posted strong quarterly results, reporting earnings of $1.43 per share versus estimates of $1.28 on revenue of $271.8 million.
• Analysts remain generally positive, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $42.20, while the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share.

Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. (NYSE:PXED - Get Free Report)'s stock price was down 14.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $29.07 and last traded at $29.6750. 22,100 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 103,096 shares. The stock had previously closed at $34.57.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Phoenix Education Partners from $39.00 to $36.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Phoenix Education Partners from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday. Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Phoenix Education Partners from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.20.

Phoenix Education Partners Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $31.24 and a 200-day moving average of $30.21. The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.33.

Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.15. Phoenix Education Partners had a return on equity of 63.05% and a net margin of 8.18%.The business had revenue of $271.80 million for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. will post 4.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Phoenix Education Partners Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 29th. Phoenix Education Partners's dividend payout ratio is 39.07%.

Institutional Trading of Phoenix Education Partners

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