Graham (NYSE:GHC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Time to Buy?

Graham Holdings (NYSE:GHC) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 12,658 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 2% from the previous session’s volume of 12,450 shares.The stock last traded at $910.47 and had previously closed at $919.45.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Graham from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th.

Graham Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $904.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $835.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.98 and a beta of 1.14.

Graham (NYSE:GHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $17.25 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.21 billion for the quarter. Graham had a net margin of 4.86% and a return on equity of 5.79%.

Graham Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 3rd will be paid a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 3rd. This is a boost from Graham’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.72. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. Graham’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.47%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Marcel A. Snyman sold 159 shares of Graham stock in a transaction on Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $881.30, for a total transaction of $140,126.70. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 442 shares in the company, valued at $389,534.60. This trade represents a 26.46 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 20.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graham

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Longboard Asset Management LP acquired a new position in Graham in the 4th quarter valued at about $228,000. KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Graham by 36.5% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 142 shares of the company’s stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Insight Inv LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Graham by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Insight Inv LLC now owns 2,724 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,375,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in Graham by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $495,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Graham by 188.2% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 588 shares of the company’s stock worth $513,000 after buying an additional 384 shares during the last quarter. 93.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Graham Company Profile

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.