Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Rating Lowered to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts have also commented on the company. UBS Group upped their target price on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Four investment 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, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.75.

Laureate Education Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of LAUR opened at $34.77 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $34.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.61. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.38 and a beta of 0.57. Laureate Education has a 12-month low of $17.91 and a 12-month high of $36.34.

Laureate Education announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $150.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 3.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Laureate Education

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAUR. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 1,060.2% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,101,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $160,888,000 after acquiring an additional 4,661,417 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Laureate Education in the 3rd quarter valued at $54,859,000. Candriam S.C.A. raised its position in Laureate Education by 510.4% in the 2nd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 1,214,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,401,000 after purchasing an additional 1,015,711 shares during the last quarter. Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel LLC bought a new position in Laureate Education in the 4th quarter valued at $27,554,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Laureate Education by 55.7% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,266,565 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,315,000 after purchasing an additional 811,108 shares in the last quarter. 96.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.