Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) by 19.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,391 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Grand Canyon Education were worth $227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOPE. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. purchased a new position in Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Grand Canyon Education in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 66.0% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 420 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.17% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CTO Dilek Marsh sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $166.07, for a total value of $249,105.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 21,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,516,366.18. This represents a 6.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOPE has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Grand Canyon Education from $170.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Grand Canyon Education from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Barrington Research upped their target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $180.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $181.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 21st.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Performance

NASDAQ:LOPE opened at $181.00 on Thursday. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a one year low of $126.17 and a one year high of $192.18. The stock has a market cap of $5.20 billion, a PE ratio of 23.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.78. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $173.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.77.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The company reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 30.67% and a net margin of 21.90%. The business had revenue of $292.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $289.62 million. As a group, analysts predict that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Grand Canyon Education Company Profile

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides education services to colleges and universities in the United States. It offers technology services, including learning management system, internal administration, infrastructure, and support services; academic services, such as program and curriculum, faculty and related training and development, class scheduling, and skills and simulation lab sites; and counseling services and support services comprising admission, financial aid, and field experience and other counseling services.