Principal Financial Group Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Laureate Education $LAUR

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) by 50.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 59,552 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,942 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Laureate Education were worth $1,878,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of LAUR. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Laureate Education by 48.7% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 156,668 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,204,000 after acquiring an additional 51,337 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 3.0% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 98,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,008,000 after purchasing an additional 2,838 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 407,255 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,328,000 after purchasing an additional 27,978 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in Laureate Education by 179.4% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 163,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,352,000 after purchasing an additional 105,247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Laureate Education by 20.0% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 66,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 11,170 shares during the period. 96.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Laureate Education Price Performance

LAUR opened at $34.75 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.36 and a beta of 0.57. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $34.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.89. Laureate Education has a 12-month low of $17.91 and a 12-month high of $36.34.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.