Perdoceo Education CEO Sells $1.8 Million Worth of Shares Among Active Insider Sales

By Adé Hennis – Mar 22, 2026 at 3:44AM ESTKey PointsPerdoceo Education CEO Todd Nelson sold 51,346 shares for approximately $1.79 million, at a weighted-average price of $34.89 per share in mid-March 2026. The transaction represented 10.61% of Nelson's direct holdings at the time.Todd S. Nelson, President and CEO of Perdoceo Education Corporation (PRDO +0.29%), reported the sale of 51,346 shares in open-market transactions on March 16 and March 17, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing. Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (direct)51,346Transaction value~$1.8 millionPost-transaction shares (direct)432,368Post-transaction value (direct ownership)~$15.2 millionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($34.89); post-transaction value based on March 17, 2026 market close ($35.11). Key questionsHow does the size of this sale compare to Nelson's prior transactions?This sale of 51,346 shares is slightly above the recent median sale size of 48,000 shares. What is the context of this transaction?Before the 51,346 shares were sold as part of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, on March 14, 91,787 shares were withheld for tax obligations related to shares that vested four days earlier. Company overviewMetricValueRevenue (TTM)$846.10 millionNet income (TTM)$159.91 millionDividend yield1.74%1-year price change (as of 3/21/26)39.35%ExpandNASDAQ: PRDOPerdoceo EducationToday's Change(0.29%) $0.10Current Price$34.54Key Data PointsMarket Cap$2.2BDay's Range$33.84 - $34.5652wk Range$24.05 - $38.02Volume62KAvg Vol563KGross Margin71.73%Dividend Yield1.68%Company snapshot Perdoceo Education Corporation is an education provider that offers postsecondary education programs through online, campus-based, and blended formats, with a focus on career-oriented disciplines such as business, healthcare, information technology, and criminal justice. It generates revenue through its three institutions: Colorado Technical University (CTU), The American InterContinental University System (AIUS), and University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS). It allows learners and working professionals to pursue flexible, accredited degree programs. What this transaction means for investorsInsider investors of PRDO have been highly active in recent weeks, as officers, board directors, and Nelson have been conducting multiple transactions. On March 10, the CEO received 98,314 shares from vested restricted stock units. Half of the shares were granted under a time-based incentive compensation plan, and the other half under a performance-based plan. The 91,787 shares disposed of on the 14th were strictly shares surrendered to satisfy tax withholding obligations of the vesting of restricted stock units. To the CEO’s benefit, he also had 73,140 performance-based stock units that vested into shares that day. That all led up to the sale of shares on March 16 and 17, which were part of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which allows insiders to sell or buy shares in advance. While many of the other insider transactions also involve pre-scheduled trading plans, it would be a great time to sell shares for profit, as Perdoceo Education’s financials and stock have been growing consistently. The company reported its Q4 earnings for fiscal year 2025, which included a 24.20% year-over-year (YoY) increase in annual revenue, the first double-digit increase in recent history. Perdoceo’s stock is up 17.83% so far in 2026 (as of March 21), following four consecutive years of gains.Stocks MentionedPerdoceo EducationNASDAQ: PRDO$34.54(+0.29%)+$0.10*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.