Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s Why

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $35.84 and last traded at $35.81, with a volume of 174142 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $35.47.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on LAUR shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Laureate Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Laureate Education presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $33.75.

Laureate Education Stock Up 0.3%

The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $31.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.73. The firm has a market cap of $5.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.96 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 22.99%. The company had revenue of $400.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $391.77 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.56 EPS. Laureate Education’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Laureate Education will post 1.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Laureate Education declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that allows the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 3.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 0.3% in the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 137,319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,331,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 37,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,180,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Laureate Education by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 14,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $443,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. DNB Asset Management AS raised its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 0.5% during the second quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 113,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,652,000 after acquiring an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 11.8% in the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 6,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $141,000 after buying an additional 636 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.

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.