Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) Shares Sold by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) by 12.9% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 4,892 shares of the company’s stock after selling 726 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Grand Canyon Education were worth $646,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 105.5% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 333,028 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,973,000 after purchasing an additional 170,956 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $286,000. Caxton Associates LP acquired a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,707,000. Nebula Research & Development LLC acquired a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,109,000. Finally, Icon Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $778,000. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Grand Canyon Education Trading Down 0.6 %

LOPE stock opened at $135.99 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $139.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $134.74. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a twelve month low of $100.23 and a twelve month high of $156.56. The stock has a market cap of $4.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.02, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 0.64.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 7th. The company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $274.68 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $272.42 million. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 31.81% and a net margin of 21.66%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.00 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 7.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LOPE shares. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Grand Canyon Education from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Grand Canyon Education from $155.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, Barrington Research lifted their price objective on Grand Canyon Education from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th.

Insider Activity at Grand Canyon Education

In other Grand Canyon Education news, insider Kathy J. Claypatch sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.20, for a total value of $223,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,320 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,241,344. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Grand Canyon Education news, insider Kathy J. Claypatch sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.20, for a total transaction of $223,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,320 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,344. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Lisa Graham Keegan sold 270 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.96, for a total value of $39,949.20. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,635 shares in the company, valued at approximately $389,874.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.