Kelley Wright
Investment Q Trends
Chuck Carlson
The DRIP Investor
Paul Goodwin
Cabot China & Emerging Markets Report
John Reese
Validea

Educated gains from Apollo Group


Bookmark and Share
by David Fried, editor The Buyback Letter

Apollo Group (APOL) is the biggest U.S. for-profit college company (University of Phoenix), and provides higher education programs for working adults; the stock is a recent addition to our buyback model portfolio.

Apollo has both online and on-campus programs at the undergrad, masters and doctoral levels in 41 states, Puerto Rico, Latin America and Europe, and has been in the education business for more than 35 years.

This has been a challenging sector for investors, as regulators have cracked down, leading to hits to growth. Student enrollment has been dropping throughout the industry, as students are wary of spending money on higher education.

Companies in the industry are now trying to revamp their businesses to comply with regulators and put them on a more sustainable path. The company launched a new ‘Phoenix Career Services’ program this past quarter to counteract declining enrollment.

Apollo, with a market cap of $3.2 billion, reported its fiscal third quarter results, with earnings per share of $1.20, which trounced analysts expectations ($0.96 a share). Net income dropped to $134 million, compared to $212.4 million during the same time last year.

Better-than-expected third-quarter EPS results from factors including a decrease in marketing costs (down $2.2 million), a $3.8 million decrease in bad debt expense and substantial share buybacks costing $329 million. Management has reduced shares outstanding by 19.9% in the last 12 months.

Learn more about this financial newsletter at David Fried's The Buyback Letter.

Related articles:

Advertisement
Banner
News Flash

US Natural Gas ETF: On a roll
by Doug Fabian, editor Successful Investing

One area I think is ready for a new buy is natural gas. After experiencing a sharp decline from November through early January, natural gas prices have been on a roll.


Read more...

 

Split buys? HOMB and Noble Energy
by Neil Macneale, editor 2-for-1 Stock Split Newsletter

Each month, we add one stock to our model portfolio based upon those companies that have announced 2-for-1 stock splits; after a meager number of splits over the past year, we have a nice collection of six splits elect from this month.


Read more...


   

WisdomTree targets global bonds
by Mark Salzinger, editor The Investor's ETF Report

While most investors diversify the equity portions of their portfolio with allocations to foreign stocks, few diversify their bond holdings internationally. WisdomTree recently introduced the first ETF to invest in a truly global portfolio of corporate bonds.


Read more...

 

Express Scripts: Obamacare buy
by J. Royden Ward, editor Cabot Benjamin Graham Value Investor

I am attracted to healthcare stocks because the confusion surrounding “ObamaCare” has held healthcare stock prices back. I think Express Scripts (ESRX) is very likely to shine in 2013.


Read more...

 

Hodges: High conviction funds
by Walter Frank, editor MoneyLetter

Over the last two months, Hodges Fund (HDPMX) has made a strong run to the top echelons of our domestic stock fund rankings. And one of its siblings, Hodges Small Cap (HDPSX) has been within the top decline of the small blend category from 2009 through last year, and is in the top 20% this year.


Read more...

 

United Natural: A play on Whole Foods
by Mark Skousen, editor Hedge Fund Trader Alert

We’ve recommended Whole Foods Market (WFM) from time to time, and the stock has moved up sharply in the past three years, but I’d like to suggest an alternative -- one of Whole Foods’ primary suppliers, United Natural Foods (UNFI).


Read more...

 

Timing expert eyes India
by Sy Harding, editor Street Smart Report

The money flow and momentum reversals in India's Bombay Index have now been enough to trigger buy signals on intermediate-term indicators. With this new buy signal, we have added a position in the iShares India 50 ETF (INDY) to our portfolio.


Read more...

 

Value investor goes with Guess
by Charles Mizrahi, editor Hidden Values Alert

Guess?, Inc. (GES) is a holding in our special situation portfolio; its strong product quality has created brand name recognition and a loyal consumer following.


Read more...

 

MGAM: Bingo, lotteries, casinos
by Jim Oberweis, Jr., editor The Oberweis Report

Multimedia Games Holding Company (MGAM) makes innovative gaming systems for Native American and commercial casino operators in North America, lottery operators, and charity and commercial bingo operators.


Read more...

 

Fidelity expert: Bowers' bond bets
by Jack Bowers, editor Fidelity Monitor & Insight

If you’ve been worried that the bond market might take a big hit, you can relax. Indeed, while bond funds may lag stock funds over the next 5-10 years, they still have a decent shot at keeping up with inflation, and they remain an excellent way to cut risk in a blended portfolio.


Read more...

 



Banner



Close
Select Offer: Schwab Options Market Commentary