CEOs Are Piling Up More Shares of These Three Companies

Graham Holdings Co (NYSE:GHC) also had its most influential insider purchase a sizable block of shares this week. President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy J. O’Shaughnessy reported purchasing 1,100 Class B shares on Wednesday at a cost of $463.61 per share, lifting his stake to 8,892 shares. The CEO’s spouse holds a stake of 2,782 Class B shares. Mr. O’Shaughnessy also holds 900 Class B shares indirectly through a trust fund for spouse, as well as 3,800 shares through a trust for spouse and children.

Graham Holdings mainly operates as a diversified education and media company. The company’s Kaplan subsidiary offers a range of educational services, while its media operations include the ownership and operation of five television broadcast stations, as well as Slate and Foreign Policy magazines. Graham Holdings also operates two home health and hospice providers, three industrial companies and marketing solutions provider Social Code LLC, all of which comprise the Other Businesses segment. The company’s 2015 revenue totaled $2.59 billion, which decreased 6% year-on-year. The decline in the company’s top-line figure was mainly driven by the weakening performance of the education division and the television broadcasting division, which was in turn offset by strengthening performance in other businesses. To be more detailed, education revenue decreased 11% year-on-year in 2015 and advertising revenue dropped 9%, whereas other revenues grew 41% year-over-year. The increase in other revenues was mainly attributable to new businesses acquired in 2015 and 2014. Graham Holdings has seen the value of its stock decline 26% in the past 52 weeks, but the stock has been attempting to rebound throughout the first months of this year. The smart money sentiment towards Graham Holdings declined significantly during the fourth quarter of 2015, as funds with positions in the company dropped to 19 from 28. Those 19 hedge funds amassed almost 22% of the company’s total number of shares. Mason Hawkins’ Southeastern Asset Management had 703,052 shares of Graham Holdings Co (NYSE:GHC) in its portfolio at the end of the December quarter.

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