Vanguard Group Inc. Decreases Position in Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE)

Vanguard Group Inc. cut its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) by 2.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,841,548 shares of the company’s stock after selling 82,612 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 10.00% of Grand Canyon Education worth $491,645,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Grand Canyon Education during the first quarter valued at approximately $232,000. Convergence Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the first quarter valued at approximately $249,000. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 244.2% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 716 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 508 shares during the last quarter. 111 Capital bought a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $528,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 135.5% during the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 1,791 shares during the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:LOPE opened at $196.10 on Friday. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a 52-week low of $130.69 and a 52-week high of $202.28. The stock has a market cap of $5.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.79. The business’s 50 day moving average is $180.85 and its 200 day moving average is $180.53.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.16. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 31.50% and a net margin of 22.15%. The company had revenue of $247.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $240.90 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.19 earnings per share. Grand Canyon Education’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on LOPE. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $215.00 target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Grand Canyon Education from $222.00 to $210.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Grand Canyon Education from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th.

Grand Canyon Education 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.