Van Berkom & Associates Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Laureate Education $LAUR

Van Berkom & Associates Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) by 18.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,058,957 shares of the company’s stock after selling 905,414 shares during the period. Laureate Education makes up approximately 3.7% of Van Berkom & Associates Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. owned about 2.75% of Laureate Education worth $128,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Candriam S.C.A. increased its holdings in Laureate Education by 510.4% in the 2nd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 1,214,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,401,000 after purchasing an additional 1,015,711 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its stake in Laureate Education by 113.8% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,288,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,133,000 after purchasing an additional 685,998 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its holdings in Laureate Education by 22.4% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,503,885 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,669,000 after purchasing an additional 458,202 shares in the last quarter. Aberdeen Group plc purchased a new stake in shares of Laureate Education in the second quarter worth approximately $5,634,000. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 219.5% in the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 213,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,729,000 after purchasing an additional 146,565 shares in the last quarter. 96.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

Shares of LAUR stock opened at $34.48 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.17 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81. The company’s 50-day moving average is $33.52 and its 200 day moving average is $30.06. Laureate Education has a one year low of $17.91 and a one year high of $36.34.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on LAUR. UBS Group increased their target price 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. initiated coverage on Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective 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. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.