Zacks Research Brokers Raise Earnings Estimates for STRA

Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA) – Zacks Research raised their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Strategic Education in a report issued on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the health services provider will earn $1.46 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.39. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Strategic Education’s current full-year earnings is $4.79 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Strategic Education’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.73 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.76 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.86 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.81 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.67 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.96 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.99 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.26 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.88 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.29 EPS.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Strategic Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $99.33.

Strategic Education Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of STRA opened at $80.76 on Friday. Strategic Education has a twelve month low of $72.17 and a twelve month high of $93.45. The stock has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a PE ratio of 14.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.56. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $81.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $80.89.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by $0.27. Strategic Education had a return on equity of 8.75% and a net margin of 9.98%.The company had revenue of $311.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $322.29 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.27 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Strategic Education’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 13,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total transaction of $1,070,810.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 100,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,244,907.52. This trade represents a 11.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 38,840 shares of Strategic Education stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.35, for a total value of $2,926,594.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 106,332 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,012,116.20. This represents a 26.75% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Strategic Education

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of STRA. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC bought a new stake in Strategic Education in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $678,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Strategic Education in the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Strategic Education in the fourth quarter worth approximately $5,059,000. Vident Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 28,385 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $2,276,000 after buying an additional 2,785 shares during the period. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 72.7% in the fourth quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 9,281 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $789,000 after buying an additional 3,907 shares during the period. 93.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Strategic Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ headline note says STRA “might be well poised for a surge” as its modelers raised near‑term and multi‑year earnings estimates — Zacks now projects FY2026 $6.81, FY2027 $7.88 and FY2028 $9.29 per share. Why Strategic Education (STRA) Might be Well Poised for a Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks lifted several quarter-level estimates across 2026–2027 (examples): Q1‑2026 to $1.46 from $1.39, Q2‑2026 to $1.73 from $1.66, Q3‑2026 to $1.76 from $1.69, Q4‑2026 to $1.86 from $1.75; Q1‑2027 to $1.67, Q2‑2027 to $1.96, Q3‑2027 to $1.99 and Q4‑2027 to $2.26 — these consistent upward revisions support the bullish case and the Strong‑Buy rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent fundamentals are mixed: STRA reported an EPS beat in its most recent quarter (helping sentiment), but revenue came in below consensus — keep an eye on top‑line traction and enrollment trends as execution risks remain.

About Strategic Education

Strategic Education, Inc is a publicly traded higher education services holding company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Through its primary operating subsidiaries, Strayer University and Capella University, the company delivers degree programs and professional development opportunities to working adults. Its offerings span undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and workforce training in fields such as business, technology, health services, education, and public administration.

Strayer University, with a network of physical campuses across the United States complemented by an online platform, provides associate’s through doctoral degrees designed to accommodate non-traditional students.