Geo Group Inc (The) (NYSE:GEO) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Geo Group Inc (The) (NYSE:GEO) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the five ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $35.00.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Geo Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Geo Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Geo Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. Finally, Jones Trading lowered their target price on shares of Geo Group from $50.00 to $37.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th.

Geo Group Stock Performance

GEO opened at $15.68 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.62. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.68. Geo Group has a 1 year low of $14.27 and a 1 year high of $32.09. The company has a market capitalization of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.73.

Geo Group (NYSE:GEO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.03. Geo Group had a return on equity of 7.42% and a net margin of 9.41%.The firm had revenue of $682.34 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $665.81 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.21 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Geo Group will post 0.83 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Geo Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GEO. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Geo Group by 245.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,101 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 782 shares in the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Geo Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in Geo Group during the fourth quarter worth about $53,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Geo Group by 81.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 839 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management acquired a new stake in Geo Group during the third quarter worth about $61,000. 76.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Geo Group

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) is a leading provider of correctional, detention and community reentry services to government agencies around the world. As a real estate investment trust, the company specializes in the design, financing, development and operation of secure facilities for adult and juvenile offenders, immigration detainees and individuals requiring mental health treatment or substance abuse programming. GEO’s integrated service model also encompasses electronic monitoring, rehabilitative programming and post-release supervision aimed at reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety.

GEO’s portfolio spans a range of facility types, including medium- and maximum-security correctional institutions, residential reentry centers, mental health treatment units and immigration detention centers.