The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) Trading Down 5.9% - Here's What Happened

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO - Get Free Report) traded down 5.9% on Friday . The company traded as low as $24.85 and last traded at $24.95. 743,570 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 74% from the average session volume of 2,871,856 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.52.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on GEO. Noble Financial reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of The GEO Group in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Wedbush reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $36.00 price objective (down previously from $46.00) on shares of The GEO Group in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of The GEO Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Jones Trading cut their target price on shares of The GEO Group from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, UBS Group set a $35.00 price objective on The GEO Group in a research note on Monday, March 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $38.00.

The GEO Group Trading Down 7.0%

The stock has a market cap of $3.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 85.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock's fifty day moving average is $28.00 and its 200 day moving average is $28.34.

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $604.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $611.81 million. The GEO Group had a net margin of 2.00% and a return on equity of 9.20%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.14 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The GEO Group, Inc. will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at The GEO Group

In related news, EVP Shayn P. March sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total value of $225,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 67,469 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,024,070. This represents a 10.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of The GEO Group

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Militia Capital Partners LP purchased a new position in The GEO Group in the 1st quarter worth $91,000. Hodges Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in The GEO Group by 61.6% in the first quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 283,614 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $8,284,000 after buying an additional 108,114 shares during the last quarter. Anson Funds Management LP acquired a new position in The GEO Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,668,000. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in The GEO Group by 53.9% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 127,483 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $3,724,000 after buying an additional 44,649 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in The GEO Group by 168.0% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 284,975 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $8,324,000 after acquiring an additional 178,622 shares during the period. 76.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The GEO Group Company Profile

The GEO Group, Inc NYSE: GEO engages in ownership, leasing, and management of secure facilities, processing centers, and community-based reentry facilities in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The company also provides secure facility management services, including the provision of security, administrative, rehabilitation, education, and food services; reentry services, such as temporary housing, programming, employment assistance, and other services; electronic monitoring and supervision services; and transportation services; as well as designs, constructs, and finances new facilities through projects.