StockNews.com Downgrades Graham (NYSE:GHC) to Hold

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Graham (NYSE:GHC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Graham Stock Performance

Shares of Graham stock opened at $704.35 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.14 billion, a PE ratio of 16.20 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 1.50. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $727.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $676.06. Graham has a one year low of $551.36 and a one year high of $771.05.

Graham (NYSE:GHC) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The company reported $10.94 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter. Graham had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 5.23%.

Graham Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.72 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 17th. This represents a $6.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Graham’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.83%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Katharine Weymouth sold 556 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $712.99, for a total transaction of $396,422.44. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,993 shares in the company, valued at $1,420,989.07. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 20.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graham

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GHC. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new position in Graham in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in Graham in the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Graham in the 4th quarter worth approximately $77,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Graham by 96.9% in the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 126 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 62 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in Graham by 119.0% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.54% of the company’s stock.

About Graham

Graham Holdings Company, through its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified education and media company in the United States and internationally. It provides test preparation services and materials; professional training and exam preparation for professional certifications and licensures; and non-academic operations support services to the Purdue University Global; operations support services for online courses and programs; training and test preparation services for accounting and financial services professionals; English-language training, academic preparation programs, and test preparation for English proficiency exams; and A-level examination preparation services, as well as operates colleges, business school, higher education institution, and an online learning institution.