The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Jones Trading reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of The GEO Group in a research note on Friday, March 21st. UBS Group set a $35.00 target price on The GEO Group in a report on Monday, March 24th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $46.00 price target on shares of The GEO Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, Noble Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of The GEO Group in a research note on Monday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The GEO Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

The GEO Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GEO opened at $31.65 on Thursday. The GEO Group has a 12-month low of $11.75 and a 12-month high of $36.46. The company has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a PE ratio of 109.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.78. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25.

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.08). The GEO Group had a return on equity of 9.20% and a net margin of 2.00%. The business had revenue of $607.72 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $607.45 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The GEO Group will post 0.83 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at The GEO Group

In related news, EVP Shayn P. March sold 7,500 shares of The GEO Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total value of $225,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,469 shares in the company, valued at $2,024,070. The trade was a 10.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 5.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The GEO Group

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of GEO. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The GEO Group in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of The GEO Group by 160.0% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,170 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 720 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in The GEO Group by 149.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,527 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 915 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. purchased a new position in The GEO Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $58,000. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc acquired a new stake in The GEO Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $67,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.10% of the company’s stock.

About The GEO Group

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.