Nelnet (NYSE:NNI) Stock Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE:NNI) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $129.63 and traded as high as $133.70. Nelnet shares last traded at $132.17, with a volume of 114,628 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Nelnet in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered Nelnet from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Nelnet from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Nelnet currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $140.00.

Nelnet Stock Down 0.1%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $133.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $129.63. The company has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion, a PE ratio of 11.11 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a current ratio of 28.98, a quick ratio of 28.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18.

Nelnet (NYSE:NNI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The credit services provider reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $1.43. Nelnet had a return on equity of 12.58% and a net margin of 18.96%.The firm had revenue of $427.76 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $372.00 million. Research analysts expect that Nelnet, Inc. will post 4.52 EPS for the current year.

Nelnet Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Nelnet’s payout ratio is 11.09%.

Insider Transactions at Nelnet

In related news, Director Deun Jona M. Van sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.95, for a total value of $51,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 704 shares in the company, valued at $90,780.80. This trade represents a 36.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 50.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nelnet

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Nelnet in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Nelnet by 170.3% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 373 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Nelnet by 189.8% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 368 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares during the period. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Nelnet during the 2nd quarter worth $62,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Nelnet by 137.3% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 541 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the period. 33.51% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Nelnet

Nelnet, Inc (NYSE: NNI) is a diversified education services company founded in 1978 and headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Originally established as the National Education Loan Network by Michael S. Dunlap, the company has grown into a prominent provider of student loan servicing and education finance solutions in the United States.

At the core of Nelnet’s business is student loan servicing, where it administers and manages federal and private education loans on behalf of borrowers and lending partners.