Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.24 EPS

Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.24, Briefing.com reports. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Phoenix Education Partners’ conference call:

• Enrollment and retention improved, with average total degreed enrollment up 1.8% in Q2 and retention from the most recent annual cohort rising to 76.6% (≈500 bps YoY), which management says is driving durable enrollment growth.
• Mixed financials — Q2 net revenue was slightly down (-0.4% to $222.5M) while adjusted EBITDA rose 7.8% to $34.8M; net income fell due mainly to higher share-based compensation from the IPO, and full-year guidance was reiterated with revenue expected toward the lower end and adjusted EBITDA toward the upper end of the ranges.
• Employer-affiliated (B2B) students continue to expand, representing 35% of enrollment (vs. 31% a year ago), a channel the company says has higher retention and reinforces revenue durability.
• Strong balance sheet and shareholder returns — cash and marketable securities of about $252.1M, no debt, a new $50M share repurchase authorization, and a maintained quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share.
• Continued investment in technology and AI — the company is deploying AI across onboarding, 24/7 support, advisor productivity, credit evaluation and marketing personalization, which management links to improved student outcomes and margin expansion.

Phoenix Education Partners Price Performance

NYSE:PXED opened at $31.10 on Wednesday. Phoenix Education Partners has a one year low of $23.52 and a one year high of $47.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion and a P/E ratio of 12.85. The company has a fifty day moving average of $29.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 1.88.

Phoenix Education Partners Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 29th will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 29th. Phoenix Education Partners’s payout ratio is currently 34.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on PXED shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Phoenix Education Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings started coverage on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They set a “sell (d+)” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets set a $39.00 target price on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Phoenix Education Partners from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Phoenix Education Partners in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Phoenix Education Partners

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey acquired a new position in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter valued at about $89,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter valued at about $92,000. Sandia Investment Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter valued at about $161,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN bought a new stake in shares of Phoenix Education Partners in the fourth quarter valued at about $165,000.

Phoenix Education Partners Company Profile

Our Mission To provide access to higher education opportunities that enable students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their professional goals, improve the performance of their organizations and provide leadership and service to their communities. We are a mission-driven organization operating at the forefront of the rapidly evolving post-secondary education market. As one of the largest online education providers and a pioneer in our field, we benefit from the dynamic interplay between technological innovation, education, employment and economic trends.