Aubrey Capital Management Ltd Acquires New Shares in Laureate Education $LAUR

Aubrey Capital Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 40,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,262,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of LAUR. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Laureate Education during the third quarter worth about $497,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Laureate Education in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $308,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Laureate Education by 25.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 94,438 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,979,000 after purchasing an additional 19,145 shares during the period. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC increased its holdings in Laureate Education by 188.0% in the 3rd quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC now owns 47,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,513,000 after purchasing an additional 31,325 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North of South Capital LLP raised its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. North of South Capital LLP now owns 1,605,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,632,000 after buying an additional 26,374 shares during the period. 96.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Laureate Education Trading Up 3.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:LAUR opened at $35.97 on Thursday. Laureate Education has a 52 week low of $17.91 and a 52 week high of $36.13. The company’s 50 day moving average is $32.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.35. The company has a market cap of $5.30 billion, a PE ratio of 26.26 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

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

Laureate Education declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LAUR shares. Zacks Research cut Laureate Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Laureate Education has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $33.75.

Laureate Education 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.