Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Receives $33.75 Average Price Target from Analysts

Shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $33.75.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock.

Laureate Education Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ:LAUR opened at $34.30 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a PE ratio of 25.04 and a beta of 0.60. Laureate Education has a 1 year low of $17.91 and a 1 year high of $36.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $33.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.83.

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

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD purchased a new stake in Laureate Education during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Laureate Education by 328.6% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,265 shares during the last quarter. Francis Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Laureate Education in the third quarter valued at approximately $102,000. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Laureate Education by 26.2% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,617 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 751 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Laureate Education by 41.8% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 1,356 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.

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.