Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS

by · The Markets Daily

Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ:LOPE – Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $3.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.19 by $0.02, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $308.12 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $307.92 million. Grand Canyon Education had a return on equity of 32.41% and a net margin of 19.38%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.95 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Grand Canyon Education’s conference call:

  • Management reported continued enrollment momentum: online up 8.7% and hybrid up 16.6% (18.7% excl. closed/teach-out sites), with ground-campus registrations for fall 2026 significantly ahead of last year.
  • Q4 results beat modestly—service revenue $308.1M (+5.3%), operating margin 35.1%, GAAP EPS $3.14 and non‑GAAP EPS $3.21 (two cents above consensus)—and the company repurchased ~$100M of shares in the quarter with $284.6M remaining authorization.
  • 2026 guidance is mixed: management expects mid‑ to high‑single digit online new starts and robust hybrid growth but flagged a ~$4.2M revenue headwind from a partner contract change and a three‑location teach‑out, plus near‑term margin pressure in H1 with expansion later in the year.
  • Company emphasized AI and program expansion (workforce development, ABSN hubs, and new partner programs) as drivers of improved student outcomes (e.g., ~90% NCLEX pass rate) and scalable growth opportunities across healthcare, manufacturing, and corporate partnerships.

Grand Canyon Education Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LOPE traded down $8.84 during trading on Thursday, hitting $158.95. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 101,795 shares, compared to its average volume of 285,233. The company has a market capitalization of $4.45 billion, a PE ratio of 21.43, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.74. Grand Canyon Education has a fifty-two week low of $149.83 and a fifty-two week high of $223.04. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $169.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $184.69.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Grand Canyon Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Grand Canyon Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Grand Canyon Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Grand Canyon Education presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $220.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Grand Canyon Education

Key Headlines Impacting Grand Canyon Education

Here are the key news stories impacting Grand Canyon Education this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Q4 operational strength — Management highlighted continued strong enrollment growth and year‑over‑year revenue and EPS gains, supporting the company’s core growth story. Earnings Call Highlights
  • Positive Sentiment: Q4 results roughly in line — Reported revenue around $308.1M and diluted EPS near $3.20, showing mid-single‑digit revenue growth and an EPS increase year over year, which supports longer‑term profitability metrics. PR Newswire Release
  • Neutral Sentiment: Full call transcript available — Management commentary and Q&A give detail on enrollments, margins and partner university activity for investors wanting color beyond headline numbers. Earnings Call Transcript
  • Neutral Sentiment: Results reporting nuance — Some outlets note a slight miss vs certain third‑party consensus estimates on revenue/EPS depending on data vendor; overall quarter described as modestly positive. Quiver Quant Summary
  • Negative Sentiment: Near‑term guidance cut — Management set Q1 FY2026 EPS guidance (2.70–2.73) well below the prior consensus (~3.19) and trimmed Q2 guidance too; FY2026 guidance (9.55–10.16) sits slightly under the consensus of ~10.00. This guidance revision is the primary driver of negative sentiment and intraday selling. Guidance in PR Release
  • Negative Sentiment: Weaker cash position and balance‑sheet notes — Reported operating cash flow dipped and cash & equivalents declined materially year‑over‑year, while liabilities rose; investors may view this as a potential liquidity/working‑capital concern. Quiver Quant Cash/Balance Sheet

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grand Canyon Education

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 1.0% in the third quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 6,475 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,421,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Grand Canyon Education by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,069 shares of the company’s stock worth $674,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 24.8% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 412 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. increased its position in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 1,162 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zacks Investment Management raised its stake in shares of Grand Canyon Education by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 9,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,616,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Grand Canyon Education Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Grand Canyon Education, Inc provides a suite of higher‐education services through a long-term agreement with Grand Canyon University (GCU), one of the nation’s largest private Christian universities. The company’s offerings encompass a full range of academic and operational support functions, including enrollment management, student recruitment, curriculum development, instructional delivery, and technology infrastructure. Through its online program management capabilities, Grand Canyon Education helps design, market and deliver undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs to meet the needs of both traditional and non‐traditional learners.

Core services include digital marketing, admissions support, student success coaching, learning management systems and faculty recruitment.

Featured Articles