Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Given New $97.00 Price Target at BMO Capital Markets

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $114.00 to $97.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "outperform" rating on the health services provider's stock. BMO Capital Markets' price objective points to a potential upside of 16.45% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on STRA. StockNews.com raised shares of Strategic Education from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Barrington Research dropped their target price on shares of Strategic Education from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th.

Strategic Education Stock Up 1.2 %

STRA stock traded up $1.01 during trading on Monday, hitting $83.30. The company had a trading volume of 195,319 shares, compared to its average volume of 130,295. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $95.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $94.46. Strategic Education has a 12 month low of $78.43 and a 12 month high of $123.62. The stock has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.87, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Strategic Education

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Strategic Education

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in STRA. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Strategic Education by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,258,680 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $117,586,000 after purchasing an additional 20,456 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 48,459 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $4,527,000 after purchasing an additional 7,926 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its position in shares of Strategic Education by 90.3% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 4,425 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $413,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares during the period. Systematic Financial Management LP grew its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 31.3% during the fourth quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 30,820 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $2,879,000 after buying an additional 7,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Strategic Education by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 589,053 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $55,029,000 after buying an additional 34,608 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.27% of the company's stock.

About Strategic Education

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.