Zacks Research Issues Positive Outlook for STRA Earnings

Strategic Education Inc. (NASDAQ:STRA) – Equities researchers at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Strategic Education in a research report issued on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the health services provider will earn $1.46 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $1.39. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Strategic Education’s current full-year earnings is $4.79 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Strategic Education’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.73 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.76 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.86 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.81 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.67 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.96 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.99 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.26 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.88 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.29 EPS.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.47 by $0.27. Strategic Education had a return on equity of 8.75% and a net margin of 9.98%.The firm had revenue of $311.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $322.29 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on STRA. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.33.

Strategic Education Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ STRA opened at $79.18 on Friday. Strategic Education has a 1-year low of $72.17 and a 1-year high of $93.45. The business has a 50-day moving average of $81.32 and a 200-day moving average of $80.90. The company has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.61, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.56.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Strategic Education

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in STRA. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 3.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 16,195 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,360,000 after buying an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in Strategic Education by 40.2% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 43,433 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $3,647,000 after acquiring an additional 12,444 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Strategic Education by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 263,217 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $22,408,000 after acquiring an additional 4,116 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC acquired a new position in Strategic Education during the 2nd quarter worth $246,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Strategic Education by 12.8% in the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 29,075 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $2,475,000 after purchasing an additional 3,290 shares during the last quarter. 93.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Strategic Education

In related news, CFO Daniel Wayne Jackson sold 13,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.37, for a total value of $1,070,810.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 100,096 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,244,907.52. The trade was a 11.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Raymond Karl Mcdonnell sold 38,840 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.35, for a total value of $2,926,594.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 106,332 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,012,116.20. This represents a 26.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Strategic Education Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 9th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 9th. Strategic Education’s payout ratio is presently 44.28%.

Strategic Education News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Strategic Education this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates across multiple quarters and fiscal years — boosting Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027 quarterly forecasts, increasing FY2026 to $6.81 (from $6.49), FY2027 to $7.88 (from $7.56) and projecting FY2028 at $9.29. Zacks also carries a “Strong‑Buy” rating, which increases buy-side attention and supports the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Near-term quarterly EPS raises: Zacks specifically lifted several quarterly estimates for 2026–2027 (e.g., Q1 2026 to $1.46, Q2 2026 to $1.73, Q3 2026 to $1.76, Q4 2026 to $1.86 and Q3/Q4 2027 also raised). Those upward revisions imply accelerating profit expectations and likely underpin today’s positive trading.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum recognition — Strategic Education was highlighted on a Driehaus momentum screen for stocks showing strong EPS surprises and a bullish 50‑day trend, which can attract momentum and quant-focused funds. 3 High-Momentum Stocks Poised for Big Gains Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic Education published its 2025 Annual Report and Letter to Shareholders and confirmed logistics for the 2026 annual meeting (webcast April 22). This is routine investor communication; useful for fundamentals and governance review but not an immediate catalyst. Strategic Education, Inc. Publishes 2025 Annual Report and Letter to Shareholders

Strategic Education Company Profile

Strategic Education, Inc is a publicly traded higher education services holding company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Through its primary operating subsidiaries, Strayer University and Capella University, the company delivers degree programs and professional development opportunities to working adults. Its offerings span undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and workforce training in fields such as business, technology, health services, education, and public administration.

Strayer University, with a network of physical campuses across the United States complemented by an online platform, provides associate’s through doctoral degrees designed to accommodate non-traditional students.