LOPE
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive - Education & Training Services Investor Relations →
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) closed at $169.72 as of 2026-02-02, trading 23.4% above its 200-week moving average of $137.57. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 26.7% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 38, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 850 weeks of data, LOPE has crossed below its 200-week moving average 14 times. On average, these episodes lasted 15 weeks. Historically, investors who bought LOPE at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +15.4%.
With a market cap of $4.8 billion, LOPE is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 4.2%. Return on equity stands at 27.8%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 6.2x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 23.5% over the past three years. LOPE passes our Buffett quality screen: high return on equity, low debt, and positive free cash flow.
Over the past 16.4 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in LOPE would have grown to $1046, compared to $894 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 15.4% vs 14.3% for the index — confirming LOPE as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: LOPE vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After LOPE Crosses Below the Line?
Across 14 historical episodes, buying LOPE when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +15.4% after 12 months (median +1.0%), compared to +15.8% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 57% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +45.3% vs +30.5% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment LOPE crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
LOPE has crossed below its 200-week MA 14 times with an average 1-year return of +15.4% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2009 | Nov 2009 | 1 | 2.6% | +16.0% | +946.4% |
| Aug 2010 | Sep 2010 | 5 | 14.6% | -3.4% | +941.9% |
| Oct 2010 | Nov 2010 | 4 | 4.9% | -10.1% | +802.3% |
| Dec 2010 | Dec 2010 | 3 | 2.4% | -22.1% | +807.6% |
| Jan 2011 | Feb 2012 | 57 | 32.4% | -3.6% | +805.7% |
| Feb 2012 | May 2012 | 12 | 8.8% | +42.0% | +903.7% |
| Jul 2012 | Aug 2012 | 2 | 11.1% | +100.8% | +853.5% |
| Feb 2016 | Feb 2016 | 2 | 6.4% | +71.0% | +393.9% |
| Nov 2019 | Dec 2019 | 4 | 1.1% | -3.6% | +99.9% |
| Jan 2020 | May 2020 | 14 | 31.9% | +8.5% | +116.8% |
| Jun 2020 | Aug 2020 | 6 | 6.2% | +0.6% | +88.9% |
| Aug 2020 | Feb 2021 | 25 | 18.3% | -4.8% | +88.5% |
| May 2021 | Mar 2022 | 47 | 28.9% | N/A | +79.6% |
| Apr 2022 | Oct 2022 | 26 | 16.0% | +23.7% | +76.8% |
| Average | 15 | — | +15.4% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02