Graham (NYSE:GHC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Graham Holdings (NYSE:GHC) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 12,658 shares were traded 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Graham Price Performance

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 cap of $3.97 billion, a PE ratio of 17.98 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $904.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $835.77.

Graham (NYSE:GHC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The company reported $17.25 earnings per share 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 company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 3rd will be given a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 3rd. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. This is a positive change from Graham’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.72. Graham’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.47%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Graham news, CAO Marcel A. Snyman sold 159 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $881.30, for a total value of $140,126.70. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 442 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $389,534.60. This trade represents a 26.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 20.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Graham

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in GHC. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Graham by 558.3% during the 3rd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 79 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. KBC Group NV lifted its position in Graham by 60.0% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of Graham by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Graham in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $168,000. Finally, Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Graham in the third quarter valued at approximately $189,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.16% of the company’s stock.

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.