Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance
by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets DailyLaureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR – Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.950-2.030 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.950. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.9 billion-$1.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.8 billion.
Laureate Education Trading Up 1.0%
NASDAQ:LAUR opened at $35.10 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $5.17 billion, a PE ratio of 25.62 and a beta of 0.57. The business’s 50 day moving average is $34.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. Laureate Education has a 52 week low of $17.91 and a 52 week high of $36.34.
Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 22.99% and a net margin of 12.86%.The company had revenue of $541.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $527.10 million. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.030 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Laureate Education will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.
Laureate Education announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $150.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 3.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group raised 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. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $34.88.
View Our Latest Analysis on Laureate Education
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Laureate Education
A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of LAUR. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 48.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 156,668 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,204,000 after purchasing an additional 51,337 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 98,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,008,000 after acquiring an additional 2,838 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of Laureate Education by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 407,255 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,328,000 after acquiring an additional 27,978 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 179.4% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 163,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,352,000 after purchasing an additional 105,247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Laureate Education by 20.0% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 66,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 11,170 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.
About Laureate Education
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.