The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) Trading Up 8.7% - Here's Why

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO - Get Free Report) rose 8.7% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $25.67 and last traded at $25.66. Approximately 2,495,887 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 9% from the average daily volume of 2,728,382 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.61.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

GEO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group set a $32.00 price target on shares of The GEO Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Noble Financial raised shares of The GEO Group from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $32.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of The GEO Group in a report on Tuesday, December 17th.

The GEO Group Price Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average of $28.94 and a 200 day moving average of $23.01. The company has a market cap of $3.72 billion, a PE ratio of 91.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $607.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $607.45 million. The GEO Group had a net margin of 2.00% and a return on equity of 9.20%. As a group, research analysts predict that The GEO Group, Inc. will post 0.83 EPS for the current year.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On The GEO Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Discovery Capital Management LLC CT grew its stake in shares of The GEO Group by 375.2% during the 4th quarter. Discovery Capital Management LLC CT now owns 1,839,500 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $51,469,000 after purchasing an additional 1,452,400 shares during the period. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of The GEO Group by 202.6% during the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,124,783 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $59,451,000 after purchasing an additional 1,422,676 shares during the period. Newbrook Capital Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of The GEO Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,738,000. BlueCrest Capital Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of The GEO Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,456,000. Finally, Hodges Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of The GEO Group by 1,501.6% during the 3rd quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 788,800 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $10,136,000 after buying an additional 739,550 shares in the last quarter. 76.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The GEO Group Company Profile

The GEO Group, Inc NYSE: GEO engages in ownership, leasing, and management of secure facilities, processing centers, and community-based reentry facilities in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The company also provides secure facility management services, including the provision of security, administrative, rehabilitation, education, and food services; reentry services, such as temporary housing, programming, employment assistance, and other services; electronic monitoring and supervision services; and transportation services; as well as designs, constructs, and finances new facilities through projects.