Janney Montgomery Scott LLC Sells 1,515 Shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE)

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE - Free Report) by 7.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,482 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,515 shares during the quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC owned about 0.06% of Grand Canyon Education worth $3,027,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOPE. Reston Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the third quarter worth approximately $60,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 66.0% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 420 shares of the company's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Grand Canyon Education during the third quarter worth approximately $86,000. Institutional investors own 94.17% of the company's stock.

Grand Canyon Education Price Performance

LOPE traded up $1.20 on Friday, hitting $175.64. The company had a trading volume of 154,183 shares, compared to its average volume of 110,545. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.47. Grand Canyon Education, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.48 and a 52-week high of $180.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.75.

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE - Get Free Report) last released its 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. Grand Canyon Education had a net margin of 22.09% and a return on equity of 31.01%. The firm had revenue of $238.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $239.69 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.26 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Grand Canyon Education, Inc. will post 8.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Grand Canyon Education

In related news, CTO Dilek Marsh sold 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 18th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at $3,516,366.18. This trade represents a 6.62 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on LOPE. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $152.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Grand Canyon Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education from $170.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note 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.