Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.740-1.780 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.830. The company issued revenue guidance of $268.5 million-$270.5 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $270.3 million. Grand Canyon Education also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 10.180-10.320 EPS.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Down 3.3%

LOPE stock traded down $4.93 during trading on Friday, reaching $145.20. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 315,256 shares, compared to its average volume of 310,790. Grand Canyon Education has a 1 year low of $134.27 and a 1 year high of $223.04. The company has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.57. The company’s fifty day moving average is $147.60 and its 200-day moving average is $160.31.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $264.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $261.80 million. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 34.72% and a net margin of 19.54%.The business’s revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.53 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Grand Canyon Education will post 10.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on LOPE. Weiss Ratings cut Grand Canyon Education from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Truist Financial set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Barrington Research set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research report on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $198.00 to $185.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.67.

Key Stories Impacting Grand Canyon Education

Here are the key news stories impacting Grand Canyon Education this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Grand Canyon Education reported second-quarter earnings of $1.81 per share, above the $1.69 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 6.7% year over year to $264.05 million, also exceeding expectations. Earnings increased from $1.53 per share in the prior-year quarter. Grand Canyon Education Surpasses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its fiscal 2026 EPS outlook to $10.18-$10.32, above the $10.07 consensus estimate. The company maintained revenue expectations broadly in line with Wall Street forecasts. Grand Canyon Education Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Grand Canyon Education outlined longer-term expansion plans, including a path toward approximately 80 hybrid learning locations and the launch of a law school targeted for fall 2027. These initiatives could expand its addressable market and support future growth, although they will require execution and investment. Grand Canyon Education Outlines Expansion Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Second-quarter operating performance remained solid, with net income reported at approximately $45.9 million and operating cash flow of $108.6 million, providing funding for continued expansion.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS guidance of $1.74-$1.78 fell below the $1.83 consensus estimate. Revenue guidance of $268.5 million-$270.5 million was approximately in line with expectations, making the profit outlook the main near-term concern. Grand Canyon Education Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Institutional Trading of Grand Canyon Education

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 30.9% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 649,269 shares of the company’s stock worth $107,980,000 after acquiring an additional 153,189 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 48.0% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 483,184 shares of the company’s stock valued at $80,358,000 after purchasing an additional 156,777 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in Grand Canyon Education by 6,102.7% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 480,460 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,905,000 after purchasing an additional 472,714 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its position in Grand Canyon Education by 31.2% in the fourth quarter. Boston Partners now owns 339,758 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,930,000 after purchasing an additional 80,704 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in Grand Canyon Education by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 323,326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,772,000 after purchasing an additional 17,375 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.17% of the company’s stock.

About Grand Canyon Education

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides a suite of higher‐education services through a long-term agreement with Grand Canyon University (GCU), one of the nation’s largest private Christian universities. The company’s offerings encompass a full range of academic and operational support functions, including enrollment management, student recruitment, curriculum development, instructional delivery, and technology infrastructure. Through its online program management capabilities, Grand Canyon Education helps design, market and deliver undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs to meet the needs of both traditional and non‐traditional learners.

Core services include digital marketing, admissions support, student success coaching, learning management systems and faculty recruitment.