Coursera (NYSE:COUR) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.01 EPS

24 Apr 2026, 07:56 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

Coursera (NYSE:COUR – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.01), FiscalAI reports. Coursera had a negative net margin of 6.73% and a negative return on equity of 5.17%. The business had revenue of $195.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $195.17 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.12 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Coursera’s conference call:

Coursera reported Q1 revenue of $196 million (+9% YoY), expanded non‑GAAP gross margin to 57% (highest in three years), and added a record 7.6 million registered learners, bringing cumulative learners to about 205 million.
Consumer momentum remains the primary growth driver—consumer revenue was $130 million (+10% YoY), Coursera Plus continues to boost retention and lifetime value, and AI course engagement accelerated to ~20 enrollments per minute in Q1.
Enterprise results were mixed—enterprise revenue was $66 million (+7% YoY) with a 90% net retention rate, but Coursera for Business is underperforming amid longer sales cycles and macro pressure, prompting a cautious near‑term enterprise outlook.
Management reiterated the planned combination with Udemy, forecasting about $115 million of annual run‑rate cost synergies within 24 months (most realizable in year one) to strengthen product, data, and enterprise capabilities.
Leadership reaffirmed full‑year 2026 guidance ($805–$815 million revenue; ~9% adjusted EBITDA margin) and highlighted a strong balance sheet (~$790 million cash, no debt), while warning of near‑term free cash flow drag from transaction and one‑time M&A costs (~$13M expected in Q2).

Coursera Stock Performance

NYSE COUR opened at $5.98 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -19.27 and a beta of 1.35. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $6.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.24. Coursera has a 52 week low of $5.22 and a 52 week high of $13.56.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on COUR shares. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Coursera in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $14.00 target price on shares of Coursera in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Coursera from $11.00 to $8.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $8.00 target price on shares of Coursera in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Coursera from $9.00 to $6.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $10.62.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Coursera

Coursera News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Coursera this week:

Positive Sentiment: Record learner and consumer growth — Coursera reported its largest-ever registered learner growth and continued strength in the consumer/AI-driven content segment, supporting top-line expansion (revenue up ~9% YoY). Coursera Q1 revenue jumps with record learner growth
Positive Sentiment: New product offerings broaden consumer appeal — Coursera launched beginner specializations (NumPy/Pandas) and is leaning into AI-focused content, which may help monetization over time. Coursera launches NumPy and Pandas specialization for beginners
Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly in line with expectations — Q1 revenue came in near consensus (~$195.7M) even as some metrics diverged; management provided FY and Q2 revenue ranges that are close to, but slightly below, street estimates. Coursera’s (NYSE:COUR) Q1 CY2026 Earnings Results
Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings disclosure and call transcript available — investors can review the call transcript and company release for management commentary on enterprise dynamics and investment cadence. Coursera Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Negative Sentiment: Enterprise churn and margin decay raised red flags — Analysts flagged weaker enterprise segment performance and shrinking adjusted EBITDA margins driven by increased product and sales investment, prompting at least one downgrade. Coursera: Enterprise Churn And Margin Decay Are Concerning (Downgrade)
Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and weaker cash flow — Coursera reported $0.07 EPS (miss vs. consensus) and wider GAAP losses with an ~88% drop in free cash flow, which pressures near-term profitability and valuation. Coursera (COUR) Misses Q1 Earnings Estimates
Negative Sentiment: Guidance slightly soft for Q2/FY — Management issued revenue ranges a touch below consensus for Q2 and FY 2026, leaving limited near-term upside and increasing sensitivity to enterprise recovery. Coursera Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Negative Sentiment: Analyst sell-side reaction — Coverage notes (downgrades/negative write-ups) highlight operating risk and margin pressure, which can amplify near-term share weakness. Coursera shares weighed down by wider GAAP loss, 88% drop in free cash flow

Insider Buying and Selling at Coursera

In other Coursera news, SVP Alan B. Cardenas sold 9,710 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.92, for a total transaction of $57,483.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 217,876 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,289,825.92. The trade was a 4.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 16.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP acquired a new position in shares of Coursera during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $147,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Coursera by 364.7% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 11,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 9,346 shares during the last quarter. Atom Investors LP acquired a new position in shares of Coursera during the 4th quarter worth approximately $136,000. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Coursera during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $131,000. Finally, Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Coursera during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $129,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.55% of the company’s stock.

About Coursera

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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.