Graham (NYSE:GHC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Graham Holdings (NYSE:GHC) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday . Approximately 19,774 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 19% from the previous session’s volume of 16,671 shares.The stock last traded at $943.96 and had previously closed at $954.19.

Graham Stock Down 2.2 %

The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.00 billion, a PE ratio of 17.97 and a beta of 1.13. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $919.73 and its 200-day moving average is $870.31.

Graham Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.80 per share. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 17th. Graham’s payout ratio is 4.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Marcel A. Snyman sold 159 shares of Graham stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $881.30, for a total value of $140,126.70. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 442 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $389,534.60. The trade was a 26.46 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 20.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graham

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Graham by 55.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 31 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in Graham by 558.3% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 79 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of Graham by 60.0% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Graham by 44.0% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Graham by 8.4% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.16% of the company’s stock.

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.