What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after investors wagered geopolitical tension would be contained following the U.S. military's operation in Venezuela, with the Dow hitting a fresh record. 

Sentiment remained firmly "risk-on" for early 2026, with Wall Street prioritizing domestic economic strength over foreign turbulence. Analysts noted that while the event raises short-term supply questions, the market largely viewed the potential stabilization of Venezuela's vast oil reserves as a long-term economic positive.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Toys and Electronics company Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) jumped 3.4%. Is now the time to buy Hasbro? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Leisure Facilities company European Wax Center (NASDAQ: EWCZ) jumped 3.3%. Is now the time to buy European Wax Center? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Bright Horizons (NYSE: BFAM) jumped 3.6%. Is now the time to buy Bright Horizons? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ: LOPE) jumped 4.2%. Is now the time to buy Grand Canyon Education? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Home Furnishings company Purple (NASDAQ: PRPL) jumped 2.9%. Is now the time to buy Purple? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Grand Canyon Education (LOPE)

Grand Canyon Education’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 4 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 20 days ago when the stock gained 2.9% on the news that the company announced a $300 million increase to its stock repurchase program and its partner, Grand Canyon University (GCU), received formal recognition of its non-profit status from the U.S. Department of Education. 

The expanded buyback program, which brought the total authorization to $2.545 billion, signaled management's confidence in the company's value. Separately, the government's decision on GCU's non-profit status ended a long-running legal dispute. This recognition was expected to allow the university to access more private scholarships, government grants, and relief funds. It also opened the door for more partnerships with school districts and hospitals while significantly cutting down on legal costs previously spent battling for the designation.

Grand Canyon Education is up 3.8% since the beginning of the year, but at $171.68 per share, it is still trading 22.2% below its 52-week high of $220.55 from October 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Grand Canyon Education’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,871.

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