Coursera (NYSE:COUR) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $6.18, but opened at $5.31. Coursera shares last traded at $5.1750, with a volume of 2,945,751 shares.

Trending Headlines about Coursera

Here are the key news stories impacting Coursera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue beat estimates: Coursera reported adjusted earnings of $0.17 per share versus the $0.11 consensus estimate. Revenue rose 59.6% year over year to $298.6 million, exceeding expectations of $293.6 million. Coursera Tops Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability initiatives are improving: Management is targeting at least $85 million in annualized run-rate synergies by year-end and expects an approximately 14% adjusted EBITDA margin for 2026, supporting the company’s path toward stronger cash generation. Coursera EBITDA Margin and Synergies Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-ranking momentum: COUR was added to the Zacks Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” list, which could improve investor sentiment. New Strong Buy Stocks for July 30th
• Positive Sentiment: AI-focused expansion: Coursera made a $100 million strategic investment in LearnVector, an AI-native learning company founded by Coursera co-founder Andrew Ng. The move could strengthen Coursera’s positioning in AI reskilling. Coursera Invests in LearnVector
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term guidance is broadly in line: Third-quarter revenue guidance of $364 million to $372 million brackets the $366.5 million consensus estimate, while full-year revenue guidance of approximately $1.2 billion is consistent with expectations. Coursera Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Investment and execution concerns remain: The $100 million LearnVector commitment could raise capital-allocation and related-party concerns, particularly as Coursera continues to report a negative net margin. The company’s relatively modest guidance outlook may also limit the impact of the quarterly beat.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on COUR. Zacks Research raised shares of Coursera from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Coursera from $10.00 to $8.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Coursera from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 25th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Coursera in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Coursera from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $8.50.

Coursera Stock Down 17.7%

The stock has a market capitalization of $861.04 million, a P/E ratio of -13.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $5.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.87.

Coursera (NYSE:COUR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $298.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $293.61 million. Coursera had a negative return on equity of 5.41% and a negative net margin of 8.23%.The business’s revenue was up 59.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.12 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Coursera, Inc. will post 0.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Coursera declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Monday, May 18th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 55.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Coursera

In other Coursera news, SVP Alan B. Cardenas sold 9,139 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.52, for a total value of $50,447.28. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 255,934 shares in the company, valued at $1,412,755.68. This trade represents a 3.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, major shareholder Insight Holdings Group, Llc sold 1,466,372 shares of Coursera stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.24, for a total transaction of $7,683,789.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 419,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,199,668.16. This trade represents a 77.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 2,009,139 shares of company stock worth $10,643,180 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 16.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Coursera

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Arkfeld Wealth Strategies L.L.C. bought a new stake in Coursera in the second quarter valued at approximately $97,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Coursera by 63.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 2,152 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Coursera by 19.6% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 509,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,968,000 after acquiring an additional 83,603 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Coursera during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Edgestream Partners L.P. raised its stake in Coursera by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 50,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $294,000 after acquiring an additional 2,435 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.55% of the company’s stock.

About Coursera

Coursera, Inc (NYSE:COUR) operates a leading online learning platform that delivers courses, specializations, professional certificates and fully accredited degree programs in collaboration with top universities and industry partners. Founded in 2012 by Stanford University professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera’s mission is to provide universal access to world-class education and bridge skill gaps in a rapidly evolving job market.

The platform features more than 6,000 offerings created by over 275 academic institutions and corporate entities, spanning fields such as data science, business, technology, health care and the arts.