Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. (NYSE:PXED) gapped down prior to trading on Monday. The stock had previously closed at $26.01, but opened at $24.85. Phoenix Education Partners shares last traded at $24.2710, with a volume of 23,077 shares trading hands.

Trending Headlines about Phoenix Education Partners

Here are the key news stories impacting Phoenix Education Partners this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reduced its price target to $38 from $40 but maintained an “overweight” rating. The revised target still implies substantial upside from recent levels, signaling that the firm views the pullback as potentially attractive. Morgan Stanley price target report
• Neutral Sentiment: John Terrence Woods sold 850 shares for approximately $21,250 on October 12, following a larger sale of 19,453 shares for about $503,638 on October 9. Both transactions were conducted under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan to cover tax withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards, which makes them less indicative of a negative outlook. SEC insider transaction filing
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent report highlights a critical survey involving Phoenix Education Partners and Nerdy, but the available headline provides no details on the survey’s findings or financial implications. Phoenix Education Partners and Nerdy survey
• Negative Sentiment: A separate report noted that PXED shares gapped down, reflecting recent selling pressure and weaker technical momentum. The stock’s position below its moving averages may be reinforcing investor caution. Phoenix Education Partners shares gap down

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PXED has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Phoenix Education Partners from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research upgraded Phoenix Education Partners from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Phoenix Education Partners from $36.00 to $33.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered Phoenix Education Partners from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Phoenix Education Partners to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Phoenix Education Partners currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $40.60.

Phoenix Education Partners Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a current ratio of 1.91. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $27.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.25. The company has a market capitalization of $870.28 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.50.

Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.15. Phoenix Education Partners had a return on equity of 60.06% and a net margin of 8.18%. The business had revenue of $271.80 million during the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. will post 4.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Phoenix Education Partners news, insider John Terrence Woods sold 19,453 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.89, for a total value of $503,638.17. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 62,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,622,836.98. This trade represents a 23.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 5.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Phoenix Education Partners

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PXED. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Phoenix Education Partners during the second quarter worth $26,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Phoenix Education Partners in the 2nd quarter valued at $64,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Phoenix Education Partners in the 2nd quarter valued at $78,000. Walleye Capital LLC lifted its stake in Phoenix Education Partners by 23.7% during the 1st quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 16,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $508,000 after acquiring an additional 3,097 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Phoenix Education Partners by 55.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,969 shares of the company’s stock valued at $345,000 after acquiring an additional 3,898 shares in the last quarter.

About Phoenix Education Partners

Phoenix Education Partners, Inc (NYSE: PXED) is an education company focused on providing higher education and career-oriented learning opportunities for working adults. Its principal institution is University of Phoenix, which offers programs designed to accommodate students balancing education with professional and personal responsibilities.

Through University of Phoenix, the company provides online and flexible learning options in areas such as business, education, health care, information technology, nursing, and criminal justice.