Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) from a "buy" to a "strong-buy"; analyst coverage is mixed (1 Strong Buy, 2 Buy, 2 Hold) with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $92.67.
• The company beat EPS expectations with $1.74 vs. $1.47 estimated, while revenue of $311.46 million missed the $322.29 million estimate and rose 3.8% year‑over‑year; analysts forecast 4.79 EPS for the current year.
• Insiders sold 62,420 shares in the last quarter (including the CEO's sale of 38,840 shares), leaving insiders with 3.6% ownership; the stock trades around $83 with a $1.88 billion market cap and a 52‑week range of $72.17–$93.45.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Truist Financial lowered shares of Strategic Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $95.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Strategic Education from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Strategic Education in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Strategic Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $92.67.

Strategic Education Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of STRA opened at $83.21 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average is $80.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $80.78. Strategic Education has a twelve month low of $72.17 and a twelve month high of $93.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.35, a PEG ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.53.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.27. Strategic Education had a net margin of 9.98% and a return on equity of 8.75%. The company had revenue of $311.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $322.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.27 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Strategic Education will post 4.79 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Strategic Education

In related news, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 38,840 shares of Strategic Education stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.35, for a total transaction of $2,926,594.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 106,332 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,012,116.20. The trade was a 26.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Lizette Benedi Herraiz sold 7,598 shares of Strategic Education stock in a transaction on Friday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.97, for a total transaction of $607,612.06. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 58,562 shares in the company, valued at $4,683,203.14. This trade represents a 11.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 62,420 shares of company stock worth $4,843,218. 3.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Strategic Education

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Strategic Education in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in shares of Strategic Education by 88.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 294 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Strategic Education by 154.2% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 333 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Strategic Education by 85.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 387 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Strategic Education in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. 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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