Graham (NYSE:GHC) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Graham (NYSE:GHC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning.

Graham Price Performance

Graham stock opened at $706.09 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.71 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50-day moving average of $733.22 and a 200-day moving average of $715.18. Graham has a 1 year low of $551.36 and a 1 year high of $778.84.

Graham (NYSE:GHC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $11.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.15 billion during the quarter. Graham had a net margin of 6.12% and a return on equity of 5.39%.

Graham Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 18th will be paid a $1.72 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 18th. This represents a $6.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.97%. Graham’s payout ratio is 11.41%.

Insider Transactions at Graham

In other Graham news, Director Anne M. Mulcahy acquired 135 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $745.07 per share, for a total transaction of $100,584.45. Following the transaction, the director now owns 662 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $493,236.34. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 20.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Graham

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GHC. Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of Graham by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,009 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,754,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in Graham by 6.5% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Graham by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 54,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,922,000 after acquiring an additional 335 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in Graham by 16.8% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,041,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in shares of Graham during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $248,000. 62.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Graham

Graham Holdings Company, through its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified education and media company in the United States and internationally. It provides test preparation services and materials; professional training and exam preparation for professional certifications and licensures; and non-academic operations support services to the Purdue University Global; operations support services for online courses and programs; training and test preparation services for accounting and financial services professionals; English-language training, academic preparation programs, and test preparation for English proficiency exams; and A-level examination preparation services, as well as operates colleges, business school, higher education institution, and an online learning institution.