Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

by · The Markets Daily

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR – Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76, FiscalAI reports. Laureate Education had a net margin of 12.86% and a return on equity of 22.99%. The firm had revenue of $541.39 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $527.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.62 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Laureate Education updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.950-2.030 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Laureate Education’s conference call:

  • Laureate reported a strong 2025 with $1.702 billion revenue, $519 million Adjusted EBITDA (30.5% margin, a record), ended the year with a net cash position, and returned $217 million to shareholders via buybacks while the board authorized an additional $150 million repurchase.
  • 2026 guidance is constructive — revenue of $1.890–$1.905 billion (11%–12% reported), Adjusted EBITDA of $583–$593 million, adjusted EPS of $1.95–$2.03, ~50bps margin expansion and ~50% Adjusted EBITDA to unlevered free cash flow conversion.
  • Growth initiatives center on scaling fully online programs (>100,000 online students), AI and digital investments (claimed to improve retention and outcomes), and expansion in health sciences plus new campus openings to broaden capacity and address long‑term demand.
  • A rising mix of lower‑priced fully online enrollments—especially in Peru—is pressuring average revenue per student, and face‑to‑face capacity constraints in Peru will persist until new campus projects come online.
  • Seasonal and academic calendar timing shifted roughly $25 million of revenue (and ~$21 million of Adjusted EBITDA) into Q4 2025, and Q1 2026 guidance reflects a seasonal loss (Adjusted EBITDA of approximately –$20M to –$17M) due to out‑of‑session timing and new campus investments.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

Laureate Education stock traded down $0.30 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $34.80. The stock had a trading volume of 437,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 912,520. Laureate Education has a 52-week low of $17.91 and a 52-week high of $37.91. The company has a market capitalization of $5.13 billion, a PE ratio of 25.58 and a beta of 0.57. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $34.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on LAUR shares. UBS Group upped their price objective on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated 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, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.88.

Get Our Latest Analysis on LAUR

Institutional Trading of Laureate Education

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 55.7% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,266,565 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,315,000 after buying an additional 811,108 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its position in shares of Laureate Education by 113.8% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 1,288,851 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,133,000 after acquiring an additional 685,998 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 3,193.9% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 596,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,074,000 after acquiring an additional 578,100 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 331.1% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 572,640 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,061,000 after purchasing an additional 439,819 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Laureate Education by 2,582.3% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 338,370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,672,000 after purchasing an additional 325,755 shares during the period. 96.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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

About Laureate Education

(Get Free Report)

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.

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