Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Given New $80.00 Price Target at Truist Financial

Key Points

• Truist Financial lowered its price target on Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) from $85 to $80 and maintained a "hold" rating, implying about an 8.8% upside from the stock's recent level.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—one Strong Buy, two Buys and two Holds—giving STRA an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $87.67.
• Strategic Education missed quarterly estimates, reporting $1.42 EPS vs. $1.51 expected and revenue of $305.93M vs. $329.81M expected; the stock trades near $73.53 with a market cap of about $1.66 billion and a P/E of 12.99.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) had its price objective decreased by equities researchers at Truist Financial from $85.00 to $80.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "hold" rating on the health services provider's stock. Truist Financial's target price indicates a potential upside of 8.80% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on STRA. Barrington Research cut their price target on shares of Strategic Education from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Zacks Research raised Strategic Education from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Strategic Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $87.67.

Strategic Education Price Performance

Shares of STRA opened at $73.53 on Monday. Strategic Education has a 1 year low of $69.70 and a 1 year high of $93.45. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.57. The firm has a market cap of $1.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.99, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.53.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 23rd. The health services provider reported $1.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.51 by ($0.09). Strategic Education had a return on equity of 8.78% and a net margin of 10.21%.The business had revenue of $305.93 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $329.81 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Strategic Education will post 7.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Strategic Education

In other Strategic Education news, Chairman Robert S. Silberman purchased 718 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $80.82 per share, for a total transaction of $58,028.76. Following the purchase, the chairman directly owned 319,870 shares in the company, valued at $25,851,893.40. The trade was a 0.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Lizette Benedi Herraiz sold 2,982 shares of Strategic Education stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.88, for a total transaction of $238,202.16. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 55,580 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,439,730.40. This trade represents a 5.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 62,420 shares of company stock worth $4,843,218. 3.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Strategic Education

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Strategic Education by 3.1% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 16,195 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $1,360,000 after buying an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in shares of Strategic Education by 40.2% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 43,433 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $3,647,000 after acquiring an additional 12,444 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 192.7% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,162 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 765 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Strategic Education by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 24,657 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $2,099,000 after purchasing an additional 4,118 shares during the period. Finally, Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Strategic Education during the second quarter valued at $246,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.27% of the company's stock.

Strategic Education Company Profile

Strategic Education, Inc is a publicly traded higher education services holding company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Through its primary operating subsidiaries, Strayer University and Capella University, the company delivers degree programs and professional development opportunities to working adults. Its offerings span undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and workforce training in fields such as business, technology, health services, education, and public administration.

Strayer University, with a network of physical campuses across the United States complemented by an online platform, provides associate’s through doctoral degrees designed to accommodate non-traditional students.

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