Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 19,942 Shares of Laureate Education $LAUR

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) by 50.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 59,552 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 19,942 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Laureate Education were worth $1,878,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in Laureate Education by 1.2% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 37,415 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,180,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Laureate Education by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,598 shares of the company’s stock valued at $318,000 after buying an additional 480 shares during the last quarter. DNB Asset Management AS boosted its position in Laureate Education by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 113,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,652,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in Laureate Education by 11.8% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 6,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $141,000 after acquiring an additional 636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System increased its position in shares of Laureate Education by 0.5% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 126,399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,955,000 after acquiring an additional 658 shares during the period. 96.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Laureate Education Trading Down 0.1%

LAUR opened at $34.75 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. Laureate Education has a 52 week low of $17.91 and a 52 week high of $36.34. The stock has a market cap of $5.12 billion, a PE ratio of 25.36 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a 50 day moving average of $34.29 and a 200-day moving average of $30.89.

Laureate Education announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that allows the company to buyback $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on LAUR shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Laureate Education in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.75.

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.