Renaissance Technologies LLC Reduces Stake in Afya Limited $AFYA

Renaissance Technologies LLC cut its stake in Afya Limited (NASDAQ:AFYA) by 15.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 379,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 67,100 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in Afya were worth $5,636,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Swedbank AB grew its holdings in shares of Afya by 170.3% in the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 189,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,916,000 after purchasing an additional 119,200 shares during the period. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd increased its position in Afya by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 30,697 shares of the company’s stock worth $473,000 after purchasing an additional 5,599 shares during the last quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. purchased a new position in Afya during the fourth quarter worth about $462,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new position in Afya during the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in Afya in the 3rd quarter valued at about $191,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.02% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AFYA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Afya in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Zacks Research downgraded Afya from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Afya from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Afya from $21.50 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Afya from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Lelio De Souza Junior sold 41,541 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $623,115.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 36,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $543,060. This represents a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Gomiero Mirella Basolli sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.80, for a total value of $148,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 34,530 shares in the company, valued at $511,044. This trade represents a 22.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 87,745 shares of company stock valued at $1,314,175 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Afya Trading Down 2.2%

AFYA opened at $13.63 on Thursday. Afya Limited has a 12 month low of $13.00 and a 12 month high of $16.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.91, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.78. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $14.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.43.

About Afya

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya’s offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.