Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $37.91 and last traded at $36.6760, with a volume of 89128 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $35.10.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on LAUR. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their price objective on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered 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 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated 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 issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Laureate Education has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.88.

Laureate Education Stock Up 0.9%

The company has a 50-day moving average of $34.36 and a 200-day moving average of $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. The company has a market capitalization of $5.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.04 and a beta of 0.57.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76. The business had revenue of $541.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $527.10 million. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 22.99% and a net margin of 12.86%.The company’s revenue was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.62 earnings per share. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.030 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Laureate Education will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Laureate Education announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its stake in Laureate Education by 53.9% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 15,999 shares of the company’s stock valued at $539,000 after purchasing an additional 5,602 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 181,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,099,000 after purchasing an additional 12,924 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Laureate Education in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $237,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Laureate Education in the 4th quarter worth approximately $376,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd raised its position in Laureate Education by 213.9% during the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 145,284 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,892,000 after buying an additional 99,002 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.

Laureate Education Company Profile

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.