Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) have been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $33.75.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LAUR. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD purchased a new stake in Laureate Education in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 328.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Francis Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Laureate Education in the third quarter worth approximately $102,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Laureate Education during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $108,000. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 26.2% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,617 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 751 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

Shares of LAUR opened at $34.23 on Wednesday. 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 business has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.69. The stock has a market cap of $5.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.99 and a beta of 0.60. Laureate Education has a 52 week low of $17.91 and a 52 week high of $36.34.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $400.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $391.77 million. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 22.99% and a net margin of 12.86%.The company’s revenue was up 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.56 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Laureate Education will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

Laureate Education declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that allows the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

About Laureate Education

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.