Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Price Target Cut to $120.00 by Analysts at Barrington Research

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) had its target price cut by analysts at Barrington Research from $135.00 to $120.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "outperform" rating on the health services provider's stock. Barrington Research's target price indicates a potential upside of 49.72% from the company's current price.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Strategic Education from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $115.25.

Strategic Education Trading Down 0.5 %

STRA stock traded down $0.38 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $80.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 163,292 shares, compared to its average volume of 129,299. The company has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a PE ratio of 15.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.59. The firm's 50-day moving average is $96.33 and its 200-day moving average is $94.75. Strategic Education has a 12 month low of $78.43 and a 12 month high of $123.62.

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Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The health services provider reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.37 by ($0.10). Strategic Education had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 7.61%. The business had revenue of $311.46 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $315.18 million. Analysts expect that Strategic Education will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Strategic Education

In related news, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 31,855 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.83, for a total value of $3,116,374.65. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 140,281 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,723,690.23. This trade represents a 18.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 6,025 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.83, for a total transaction of $589,425.75. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 81,756 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,998,189.48. This represents a 6.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Strategic Education

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Strategic Education by 76.7% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 399,144 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $36,941,000 after purchasing an additional 173,225 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Strategic Education during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $15,715,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Strategic Education by 207.3% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 175,141 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $16,362,000 after acquiring an additional 118,151 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Strategic Education by 202.3% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 114,765 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $10,720,000 after acquiring an additional 76,804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. raised its stake in Strategic Education by 12.9% during the 4th quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 618,286 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $57,760,000 after acquiring an additional 70,743 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Strategic Education Company Profile

Strategic Education, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides education services through campus-based and online post-secondary education, and programs to develop job-ready skills. The company operates through U.S. Higher Education, Australia/New Zealand, and Education Technology Services segments. It operates Strayer University that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, criminal justice, education, health services, information technology, and public administration at physical campuses located in the eastern United States, as well as through online; non-degree web and mobile application development courses through Hackbright Academy and Devmountain; and MBA online through its Jack Welch Management Institute.