Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) Sets New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $182.23 and last traded at $180.89, with a volume of 155782 shares. The stock had previously closed at $179.16.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on LOPE shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $170.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Monday, January 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Grand Canyon Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Grand Canyon Education from $152.00 to $173.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $5.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.71, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.74. The business’s 50-day moving average is $167.66 and its 200-day moving average is $153.28.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $238.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $239.69 million. Grand Canyon Education had a net margin of 22.09% and a return on equity of 31.01%. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.26 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Grand Canyon Education

In other Grand Canyon Education news, CTO Dilek Marsh sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $166.07, for a total transaction of $249,105.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 21,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,516,366.18. This represents a 6.62 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grand Canyon Education

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,225 shares of the company’s stock worth $692,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 1.5% during the third quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 4,399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $624,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 0.4% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 18,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,692,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC increased its position in Grand Canyon Education by 1.6% in the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 5,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $814,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. raised its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 856 shares of the company’s stock worth $121,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Grand Canyon Education

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides education services to colleges and universities in the United States. It offers technology services, including learning management system, internal administration, infrastructure, and support services; academic services, such as program and curriculum, faculty and related training and development, class scheduling, and skills and simulation lab sites; and counseling services and support services comprising admission, financial aid, and field experience and other counseling services.