Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Hits New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $34.45 and last traded at $34.3110, with a volume of 117701 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $34.17.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on LAUR. Zacks Research cut shares of Laureate Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Laureate Education in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Laureate Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Laureate Education presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $33.75.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The stock has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.91 and a beta of 0.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $31.84 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.56.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.10). Laureate Education had a return on equity of 22.99% and a net margin of 12.86%.The business had revenue of $400.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $391.77 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.56 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Laureate Education will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

Laureate Education announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 3.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Laureate Education by 48.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 156,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,204,000 after acquiring an additional 51,337 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 3.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 98,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,008,000 after purchasing an additional 2,838 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Laureate Education in the first quarter worth about $825,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 7.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 407,255 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,328,000 after purchasing an additional 27,978 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Laureate Education by 179.4% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 163,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,352,000 after purchasing an additional 105,247 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.

Laureate Education Company Profile

Laureate Education, Inc (NASDAQ: LAUR) is a leading global network of higher education institutions dedicated to providing undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs to a diverse student body. The company designs and delivers academic offerings through a combination of campus-based and online platforms, focusing on fields such as business, health sciences, engineering, education and hospitality management. By aligning its curriculum with regional workforce needs, Laureate aims to equip students with practical skills and industry insights that support career advancement and lifelong learning.

Through its network, Laureate operates a broad portfolio of universities and colleges, including both longstanding campus institutions and digitally native programs.