Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) announced its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $3.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.19 by $0.02, Zacks reports. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 32.41% and a net margin of 19.38%.

Grand Canyon Education Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LOPE traded up $5.71 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $168.06. 388,020 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 285,869. Grand Canyon Education has a 52-week low of $149.83 and a 52-week high of $223.04. The company has a 50-day moving average of $169.35 and a 200-day moving average of $184.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.74.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings cut Grand Canyon Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Grand Canyon Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Grand Canyon Education has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $220.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grand Canyon Education

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOPE. Toronto Dominion Bank purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in Grand Canyon Education in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $48,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in Grand Canyon Education by 24.8% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock valued at $78,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Grand Canyon Education in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $115,000. Finally, Group One Trading LLC bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the 3rd quarter valued at $133,000. Institutional investors own 94.17% of the company’s stock.

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.