Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Cut to “Hold” at Truist Financial

Truist Financial lowered shares of Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has $85.00 price target on the health services provider’s stock, down from their prior price target of $95.00.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Strategic Education from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of Strategic Education in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Strategic Education in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $92.67.

Strategic Education Price Performance

Shares of Strategic Education stock opened at $83.45 on Tuesday. Strategic Education has a 1 year low of $72.17 and a 1 year high of $93.45. The firm has a market cap of $1.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.87.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $311.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $322.29 million. Strategic Education had a net margin of 9.98% and a return on equity of 8.75%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Strategic Education will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 9th were given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 9th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Strategic Education’s payout ratio is presently 44.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 38,840 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.35, for a total transaction of $2,926,594.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 106,332 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,012,116.20. This represents a 26.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Lizette Benedi Herraiz sold 2,982 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $79.88, for a total transaction of $238,202.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 55,580 shares in the company, valued at $4,439,730.40. This represents a 5.09% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 62,420 shares of company stock worth $4,843,218. 3.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Strategic Education

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in STRA. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Strategic Education in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 88.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 294 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 154.2% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 333 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 85.2% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 387 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Strategic Education in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors own 93.27% of the company’s stock.

Strategic Education Company Profile

Strategic Education, Inc is a publicly traded higher education services holding company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Through its primary operating subsidiaries, Strayer University and Capella University, the company delivers degree programs and professional development opportunities to working adults. Its offerings span undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and workforce training in fields such as business, technology, health services, education, and public administration.

Strayer University, with a network of physical campuses across the United States complemented by an online platform, provides associate’s through doctoral degrees designed to accommodate non-traditional students.