Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) Hits New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $149.37 and last traded at $154.60, with a volume of 999537 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $167.79.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen lowered Grand Canyon Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Grand Canyon Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Grand Canyon Education presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $220.00.

Grand Canyon Education Price Performance

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $169.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $184.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.32 billion, a PE ratio of 20.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.74.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $3.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.19 by $0.02. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 33.01% and a net margin of 19.54%.The firm had revenue of $308.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $307.92 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.95 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grand Canyon Education

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 70.7% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. 94.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Grand Canyon Education

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides a suite of higher‐education services through a long-term agreement with Grand Canyon University (GCU), one of the nation’s largest private Christian universities. The company’s offerings encompass a full range of academic and operational support functions, including enrollment management, student recruitment, curriculum development, instructional delivery, and technology infrastructure. Through its online program management capabilities, Grand Canyon Education helps design, market and deliver undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs to meet the needs of both traditional and non‐traditional learners.

Core services include digital marketing, admissions support, student success coaching, learning management systems and faculty recruitment.