Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $34.8750.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LAUR. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group boosted their price target on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Laureate Education in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Laureate Education from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Friday.

Laureate Education Trading Down 3.4%

Shares of NASDAQ LAUR opened at $32.83 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $4.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.10 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $34.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $31.05. Laureate Education has a 52 week low of $17.91 and a 52 week high of $37.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.76. The firm had revenue of $541.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $527.10 million. Laureate Education had a net margin of 16.55% and a return on equity of 24.42%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.62 earnings per share. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.030 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Laureate Education will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Laureate Education declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

More Laureate Education News

Here are the key news stories impacting Laureate Education this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue beat and strong top‑line growth — Q4 revenue of $541.4M topped consensus and rose ~28% year‑over‑year, a key driver for investor confidence in growth momentum. Laureate Education Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full‑Year 2025 and Provides 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Share repurchase expansion — company increased its buyback authorization by $150M, which supports EPS per share and is typically viewed positively by the market. GlobeNewswire: Laureate Education Reports Financial Results…
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance looks constructive — management set EPS guidance of $1.95–$2.03 and lifted revenue targets to roughly $1.9B, roughly in line with or above some sell‑side expectations, supporting a positive medium‑term outlook. Laureate projects 11%-12% revenue growth in 2026…
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS essentially in line — Q4 EPS of $0.76 met consensus, so upside was driven by revenue rather than an EPS surprise; investors may be waiting for margin or cadence clarity. Laureate Education: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is investing in digital and campus expansion — the company signaled continued investment behind growth initiatives (11–12% revenue growth target for 2026), which supports long‑term upside but may weigh on near‑term margins. Laureate Education shares rise 4% on strong revenue growth…
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term guidance and messaging caused confusion — some headlines noted an “earnings miss” and there are inconsistent/unclear Q1 guidance figures in reports that likely prompted profit‑taking and volatility today. (Investors react negatively to mixed or unclear short‑term guidance.)
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed market reaction despite positives — elevated trading volume and contradictory takes (some outlets flagged a miss while others highlighted revenue beat) created short‑term selling pressure as the market digests the detail from the earnings call and slides. Laureate Education, Inc. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Summary

Institutional Trading of Laureate Education

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of LAUR. Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its holdings in Laureate Education by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 137,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,331,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in shares of 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. grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 3.3% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,053 shares of the company’s stock valued at $443,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. DNB Asset Management AS increased its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 0.5% in the second quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 113,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,652,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the period. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Laureate Education by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 17,183 shares of the company’s stock worth $579,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares during 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.