Q1 EPS Forecast for Strategic Education Boosted by Analyst

Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA) – Research analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Strategic Education in a report released 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 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.

STRA has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $99.33.

Strategic Education Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ STRA opened at $79.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.56. Strategic Education has a twelve month low of $72.17 and a twelve month high of $93.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $81.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $80.90.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 the consensus estimate of $322.29 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.27 EPS. Strategic Education’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 9th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. 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 44.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 38,840 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.35, for a total transaction of $2,926,594.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 106,332 shares in the company, valued at $8,012,116.20. The trade was a 26.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 13,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total value of $1,070,810.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 100,096 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,244,907.52. The trade was a 11.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Strategic Education

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. boosted its position in shares of Strategic Education by 155.7% during the third quarter. Lightrock Netherlands B.V. now owns 234,719 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $20,188,000 after buying an additional 142,915 shares during the period. Bastion Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Strategic Education in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,175,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in Strategic Education by 158.3% during the 3rd quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 25,438 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,188,000 after acquiring an additional 15,588 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in Strategic Education by 56.8% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 262,035 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $22,307,000 after acquiring an additional 94,955 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Global Investments acquired a new position in Strategic Education during the 2nd quarter worth $325,000. Institutional investors own 93.27% of the company’s stock.

Strategic Education News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — boosting Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027 quarterly forecasts, increasing FY2026 to $6.81 (from $6.49), FY2027 to $7.88 (from $7.56) and projecting FY2028 at $9.29. Zacks also carries a “Strong‑Buy” rating, which increases buy-side attention and supports the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Near-term quarterly EPS raises: Zacks specifically lifted several quarterly estimates for 2026–2027 (e.g., Q1 2026 to $1.46, Q2 2026 to $1.73, Q3 2026 to $1.76, Q4 2026 to $1.86 and Q3/Q4 2027 also raised). Those upward revisions imply accelerating profit expectations and likely underpin today’s positive trading.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum recognition — Strategic Education was highlighted on a Driehaus momentum screen for stocks showing strong EPS surprises and a bullish 50‑day trend, which can attract momentum and quant-focused funds. 3 High-Momentum Stocks Poised for Big Gains Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic Education published its 2025 Annual Report and Letter to Shareholders and confirmed logistics for the 2026 annual meeting (webcast April 22). This is routine investor communication; useful for fundamentals and governance review but not an immediate catalyst. Strategic Education, Inc. Publishes 2025 Annual Report and Letter to Shareholders

Strategic Education Company Profile

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.