The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO) Short Interest Update

The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,580,000 shares, an increase of 17.0% from the May 31st total of 9,040,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,400,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.4 days.

The GEO Group Trading Up 6.3 %

NYSE:GEO traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $14.36. 5,869,624 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,182,681. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.23, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.64. The GEO Group has a 52 week low of $6.94 and a 52 week high of $16.31. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $13.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $605.67 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $603.84 million. The GEO Group had a return on equity of 8.88% and a net margin of 4.51%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.22 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that The GEO Group will post 1.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at The GEO Group

In other news, Director Scott Michael Kernan sold 5,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.62, for a total value of $72,186.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 23,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $326,008.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Scott Michael Kernan sold 5,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.62, for a total value of $72,186.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 23,936 shares in the company, valued at approximately $326,008.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Shayn P. March sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $37,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 67,830 shares in the company, valued at $1,017,450. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The GEO Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in The GEO Group by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,012,341 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $32,624,000 after acquiring an additional 63,101 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in The GEO Group by 1,116.5% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,846,814 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $52,491,000 after acquiring an additional 4,448,385 shares in the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in The GEO Group in the 4th quarter worth about $3,161,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in The GEO Group in the 4th quarter worth about $662,000. Finally, Center Lake Capital Management LLC bought a new position in The GEO Group in the 4th quarter worth about $1,083,000. 76.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wedbush cut their price target on shares of The GEO Group from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 8th.

The GEO Group Company Profile

The GEO Group, Inc (NYSE: GEO) engages in ownership, leasing, and management of secure facilities, processing centers, and community-based reentry facilities in the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa. The company also provides secure facility management services, including the provision of security, administrative, rehabilitation, education, and food services; reentry services, such as temporary housing, programming, employment assistance, and other services; electronic monitoring and supervision services; and transportation services; as well as designs, constructs, and finances new facilities through projects.