The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) Stock Price Up 5.6%

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO) rose 5.6% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $15.19 and last traded at $15.17. Approximately 2,133,094 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 17% from the average daily volume of 2,570,594 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.36.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wedbush reduced their price target on shares of The GEO Group from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th.

The GEO Group Stock Down 2.0 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $2.04 billion, a PE ratio of 21.54, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.67. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $13.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $12.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.01). The GEO Group had a net margin of 4.51% and a return on equity of 8.88%. The company had revenue of $605.67 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $603.84 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.22 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The GEO Group, Inc. will post 1.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at The GEO Group

In related news, Director Scott Michael Kernan sold 5,300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.62, for a total transaction of $72,186.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 23,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $326,008.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other The GEO Group news, CFO Shayn P. March sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $37,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 67,830 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,017,450. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Scott Michael Kernan sold 5,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.62, for a total value of $72,186.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 23,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $326,008.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 5.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of The GEO Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of The GEO Group by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,575,361 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $147,021,000 after buying an additional 58,184 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in The GEO Group by 1,116.5% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,846,814 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $52,491,000 after buying an additional 4,448,385 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in The GEO Group by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,012,341 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $32,624,000 after purchasing an additional 63,101 shares in the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of The GEO Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,230,000. Finally, Center Lake Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of The GEO Group by 500.0% during the first quarter. Center Lake Capital Management LLC now owns 600,000 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $8,472,000 after buying an additional 500,000 shares during the period. 76.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The GEO Group Company Profile

The GEO Group, Inc (NYSE: GEO) engages in ownership, leasing, and management of secure facilities, processing centers, and community-based reentry facilities in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The company also provides secure facility management services, including the provision of security, administrative, rehabilitation, education, and food services; reentry services, such as temporary housing, programming, employment assistance, and other services; electronic monitoring and supervision services; and transportation services; as well as designs, constructs, and finances new facilities through projects.