The GEO Group Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:GEO)

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Investors bought 24,159 call options on the company. This is an increase of 56% compared to the average volume of 15,504 call options.

The GEO Group Stock Down 1.2 %

GEO traded down $0.38 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $30.98. 1,597,975 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,821,392. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $28.26 and a 200 day moving average of $27.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The GEO Group has a 12-month low of $11.75 and a 12-month high of $36.46. The firm has a market cap of $4.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 106.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.80.

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.08). The GEO Group had a return on equity of 9.20% and a net margin of 2.00%. The firm had revenue of $607.72 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $607.45 million. Analysts predict that The GEO Group will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Jones Trading reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of The GEO Group in a research note on Friday, March 21st. StockNews.com cut shares of The GEO Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. Wedbush reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $46.00 price objective on shares of The GEO Group in a research report on Tuesday, March 18th. UBS Group set a $35.00 price target on The GEO Group in a research note on Monday, March 24th. Finally, Noble Financial restated an "outperform" rating on shares of The GEO Group in a research note on Monday, March 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $41.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Shayn P. March sold 7,500 shares of the business's 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 directly owns 67,469 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,024,070. The trade was a 10.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 5.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The GEO Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEO. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of The GEO Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $296,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in The GEO Group by 210.9% in the 1st quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 78,619 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $2,296,000 after purchasing an additional 53,329 shares in the last quarter. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. acquired a new position in The GEO Group during the first quarter worth $929,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. purchased a new position in The GEO Group in the first quarter worth $1,963,000. Finally, Xponance Inc. lifted its holdings in The GEO Group by 7.6% in the first quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 10,120 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $296,000 after acquiring an additional 712 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.10% of the company's stock.

About The GEO Group

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.