Raymond James Financial Inc. Invests $1.71 Million in Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA)

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 18,278 shares of the health services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,708,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.07% of Strategic Education as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Strategic Education in the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Strategic Education in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 394.8% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 480 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 383 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Strategic Education during the 4th quarter worth $96,000. Finally, KBC Group NV boosted its position in Strategic Education by 53.3% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,044 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 363 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Strategic Education Trading Down 3.8 %

NASDAQ STRA traded down $3.27 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $82.25. 278,813 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 144,625. The company has a 50 day moving average of $91.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $92.67. Strategic Education, Inc. has a 12 month low of $78.43 and a 12 month high of $123.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 15.67, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.59.

Remove Ads

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA - Get Free Report) last posted 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 return on equity of 7.61% and a net margin of 10.44%. The business had revenue of $311.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $315.18 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Strategic Education, Inc. will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Strategic Education Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.92%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 10th. Strategic Education's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on STRA. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Strategic Education from $114.00 to $97.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 3rd. StockNews.com lowered shares of Strategic Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Barrington Research cut their price objective on shares of Strategic Education from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th.

Insider Transactions at Strategic Education

In related news, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 31,855 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 140,281 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,723,690.23. This represents a 18.51 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 6,025 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.83, for a total transaction of $589,425.75. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 81,756 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,998,189.48. The trade was a 6.86 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 39,332 shares of company stock worth $3,825,169. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.