Graham (NYSE:GHC) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Graham Holdings (NYSE:GHC) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $1,003.53 and last traded at $1,000.79, with a volume of 36879 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $975.24.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Graham from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 29th.

Graham Trading Down 1.9 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $946.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $896.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.16 and a beta of 1.12.

Graham Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $7.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. Graham’s payout ratio is 4.37%.

Insider Activity at Graham

In other news, CAO Marcel A. Snyman sold 159 shares of Graham stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $881.30, for a total value of $140,126.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 442 shares in the company, valued at $389,534.60. This trade represents a 26.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 20.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Graham by 55.0% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 31 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Graham by 36.5% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $124,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Graham by 44.0% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Graham by 30.0% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 182 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Graham during the 4th quarter valued at about $197,000. 93.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.