The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Patient Investor model based on the published strategy of Warren Buffett. This strategy seeks out firms with long-term, predictable profitability and low debt that trade at reasonable valuations.
GRAND CANYON EDUCATION INC (LOPE) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Schools industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett changed from 72% to 79% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Grand Canyon Education, Inc. is an education services company, which primarily serves colleges and universities. The Company has developed technological solutions, infrastructure and operational processes to provide services to its institutions on a large scale. It provides technology and academic services, which include learning management systems, internal administration, infrastructure, support, program and curriculum, faculty and related training and development, class scheduling and skills and simulation lab sites. It provides counseling services and support, including admissions services, financial aid, counseling services, and field experience counseling. It also provides marketing and communication services that include lead acquisition, digital communication strategies, brand identity, media planning and strategy, video, business intelligence and data science, and market research. Its back-office services include finance and accounting, human resources, audit and procurement.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
| EARNINGS PREDICTABILITY: | PASS |
| DEBT SERVICE: | PASS |
| RETURN ON EQUITY: | PASS |
| RETURN ON TOTAL CAPITAL: | PASS |
| FREE CASH FLOW: | PASS |
| USE OF RETAINED EARNINGS: | FAIL |
| SHARE REPURCHASE: | PASS |
| INITIAL RATE OF RETURN: | PASS |
| EXPECTED RETURN: | PASS |
Detailed Analysis of GRAND CANYON EDUCATION INC
About Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett is considered by many to be the greatest investor of all time. As the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 for decades, and in the process has become one of the world's richest men. (Forbes puts his net worth at $37 billion.) Despite his fortune, Buffett is known for living a modest lifestyle, by billionaire standards. His primary residence remains the gray stucco Nebraska home he purchased for $31,500 nearly 50 years ago, according to Forbes, and his folksy Midwestern manner and penchant for simple pleasures -- a cherry Coke, a good burger, and a good book are all near the top of the list -- have been well-documented.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
