Versor Investments LP Reduces Stock Holdings in Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA)

Versor Investments LP lessened its position in shares of Strategic Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA) by 13.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,545 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 568 shares during the quarter. Versor Investments LP’s holdings in Strategic Education were worth $331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in STRA. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its position in Strategic Education by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 12,913 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,206,000 after acquiring an additional 1,032 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Strategic Education by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 272,253 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $25,434,000 after buying an additional 12,961 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 47.2% in the fourth quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 11,715 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,094,000 after acquiring an additional 3,759 shares during the last quarter. Olympiad Research LP acquired a new stake in shares of Strategic Education during the fourth quarter valued at $386,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in Strategic Education by 17.8% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 5,960 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $557,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares in the last quarter. 93.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Strategic Education Stock Performance

Strategic Education stock opened at $81.21 on Tuesday. Strategic Education, Inc. has a 1 year low of $78.43 and a 1 year high of $123.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $96.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $94.65. The company has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.47, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.59.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The health services provider reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.37 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $311.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $315.18 million. Strategic Education had a net margin of 10.44% and a return on equity of 7.61%. Sell-side analysts predict that Strategic Education, Inc. will post 4.79 EPS for the current year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.96%. Strategic Education’s dividend payout ratio is presently 51.39%.

Insider Transactions at Strategic Education

In related news, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 6,025 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.83, for a total transaction of $589,425.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 81,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,998,189.48. This represents a 6.86 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 31,855 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.83, for a total transaction of $3,116,374.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 140,281 shares in the company, valued at $13,723,690.23. The trade was a 18.51 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Strategic Education from $114.00 to $97.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. StockNews.com raised Strategic Education from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Barrington Research lowered their price objective on Strategic Education from $135.00 to $120.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $115.25.

Strategic Education Profile

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.