Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Strategic Education has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $99.33.

Strategic Education Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of STRA stock opened at $85.92 on Monday. Strategic Education has a twelve month low of $72.17 and a twelve month high of $93.45. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $81.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.56.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.27. Strategic Education had a return on equity of 8.75% and a net margin of 9.98%.The firm had revenue of $311.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $322.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.27 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Strategic Education will post 4.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. Strategic Education’s payout ratio is 44.28%.

Insider Activity

In other Strategic Education news, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 38,840 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.35, for a total value of $2,926,594.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 106,332 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,012,116.20. This represents a 26.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 13,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total transaction of $1,070,810.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 100,096 shares in the company, valued at $8,244,907.52. The trade was a 11.49% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 3.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Strategic Education

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new stake in Strategic Education during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 88.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 294 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Strategic Education by 154.2% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 333 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 85.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 387 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in Strategic Education by 54.3% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 395 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Strategic Education

Strategic Education, Inc is a publicly traded higher education services holding company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Through its primary operating subsidiaries, Strayer University and Capella University, the company delivers degree programs and professional development opportunities to working adults. Its offerings span undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and workforce training in fields such as business, technology, health services, education, and public administration.

Strayer University, with a network of physical campuses across the United States complemented by an online platform, provides associate’s through doctoral degrees designed to accommodate non-traditional students.