Graham (NYSE:GHC) Sees Large Volume Increase – Should You Buy?

Graham Holdings (NYSE:GHC) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 28,794 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 78% from the previous session’s volume of 16,171 shares.The stock last traded at $974.66 and had previously closed at $960.86.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised Graham from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 29th.

Graham Stock Down 6.0 %

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $945.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $895.85. 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 company has a market cap of $4.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.47 and a beta of 1.12.

Graham Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 17th will be issued a $1.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $7.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.76%. Graham’s payout ratio is 4.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 value of $140,126.70. Following the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 20.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Graham

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