Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Stock: Insider Michael Thawley Purchases 940 Shares

Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA) Director Michael Thawley bought 940 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $52.68 per share, for a total transaction of $49,519.20. Following the purchase, the director owned 14,044 shares in the company, valued at $739,837.92. This represents a 7.17% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Michael Thawley also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, November 6th, Michael Thawley bought 950 shares of Strategic Education stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $51.42 per share, with a total value of $48,849.00.

Strategic Education Trading Up 2.7%

Strategic Education stock traded up $1.42 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $54.37. The stock had a trading volume of 458,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 292,673. Strategic Education Inc. has a one year low of $50.70 and a one year high of $89.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 319.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 0.51. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $78.30 and its 200 day moving average is $79.87.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The health services provider reported $1.72 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.23). Strategic Education had a net margin of 10.46% and a return on equity of 8.98%. The business had revenue of $325.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $326.55 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.64 earnings per share. Strategic Education’s revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Strategic Education Inc. will post 7.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 7th. Investors of record on Monday, November 30th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 30th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Strategic Education’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 1,411.76%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

STRA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Strategic Education from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $95.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial upped their price target on Strategic Education from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Barrington Research lowered shares of Strategic Education from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Strategic Education from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $87.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Strategic Education

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Strategic Education during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Heritage Family Offices LLP bought a new stake in Strategic Education in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 305.3% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 616 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new stake in shares of Strategic Education during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Strategic Education during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $51,000. 93.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Strategic Education

Strategic Education, Inc. is an education services company that provides postsecondary programs and workforce-focused learning services. Its U.S. institutions include Strayer University and Capella University, which offer undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as business, technology, health care and education through online and campus-based instruction. Outside the United States, the company operates Torrens University Australia and other education institutions serving students in Australia and New Zealand.