Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) Shares Acquired by MML Investors Services LLC

MML Investors Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) by 1.6% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 5,740 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the quarter. MML Investors Services LLC’s holdings in Grand Canyon Education were worth $814,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Reston Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the third quarter valued at $28,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in Grand Canyon Education in the 3rd quarter valued at about $60,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Grand Canyon Education during the 2nd quarter valued at about $109,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Grand Canyon Education by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 767 shares of the company’s stock worth $109,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Grand Canyon Education Price Performance

NASDAQ LOPE opened at $160.31 on Friday. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.48 and a 12 month high of $173.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.67 billion, a PE ratio of 21.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.76. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $155.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $146.89.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $238.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $239.69 million. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 31.01% and a net margin of 22.09%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.26 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOPE has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Grand Canyon Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, November 15th. Barrington Research raised their target price on Grand Canyon Education from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Grand Canyon Education from $152.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Grand Canyon Education from $170.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th.

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.