Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on PRDO. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Perdoceo Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Barrington Research set a $44.00 target price on shares of Perdoceo Education in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Perdoceo Education in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.00.

Perdoceo Education Stock Up 4.3%

Shares of Perdoceo Education stock opened at $33.85 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 12.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 0.71. Perdoceo Education has a 52 week low of $26.66 and a 52 week high of $38.50. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $33.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $33.73.

Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.80. Perdoceo Education had a return on equity of 19.14% and a net margin of 20.62%.The company had revenue of $213.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $212.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.67 earnings per share. Perdoceo Education’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. Perdoceo Education has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.730-0.740 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.160 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Perdoceo Education will post 3.13 EPS for the current year.

Perdoceo Education Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This is a boost from Perdoceo Education’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Perdoceo Education’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.99%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kenda B. Gonzales sold 9,308 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.79, for a total transaction of $323,825.32. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 48,158 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,675,416.82. This trade represents a 16.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Julia A. Leeman sold 11,315 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.51, for a total transaction of $401,795.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 21,924 shares in the company, valued at $778,521.24. This trade represents a 34.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 38,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,336,193. 1.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Perdoceo Education

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PRDO. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Perdoceo Education by 19.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,663 shares of the company’s stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 1,717 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Perdoceo Education by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 56,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,235 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Perdoceo Education by 49.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,547,405 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,964,000 after purchasing an additional 513,599 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in Perdoceo Education by 117.5% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 267,312 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,731,000 after purchasing an additional 144,395 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Perdoceo Education by 192.2% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 80,212 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,622,000 after purchasing an additional 52,762 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.46% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Perdoceo Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Perdoceo raised its quarterly dividend 13.3% to $0.17 per share, payable September 10 to shareholders of record September 1. The increase signals confidence in cash generation and provides an annualized yield of approximately 2.0%.
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue reached approximately $213.4 million, ahead of the $212.5 million analyst estimate and 1.8% above the prior-year period. Earnings of $0.80 per share matched consensus and increased from $0.67 a year earlier, while net margin remained strong at 19.91%. Perdoceo Education Q2 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $3.10-$3.16 places the midpoint at $3.13, slightly above the $3.11 analyst consensus. This supports the view that profitability is holding up despite limited revenue growth. Perdoceo projects 2026 EPS and raises dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS guidance of $0.73-$0.74 is broadly in line with expectations, though its midpoint is modestly below the $0.74 consensus estimate. Perdoceo Education matches Q2 earnings estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Although earnings improved year over year, the quarter did not produce an upside EPS surprise, and revenue growth was only modest. The slightly cautious third-quarter outlook may limit further gains.

Perdoceo Education Company Profile

Perdoceo Education Corporation (NASDAQ: PRDO) is a for-profit postsecondary education provider offering certificate, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. The company operates primarily through two brand platforms—Colorado Technical University and American InterContinental University—delivering career-focused education both on campus and online. These programs span fields such as business, information technology, healthcare and criminal justice, targeting working adults seeking to advance or pivot their careers.

With headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, Perdoceo serves students across the United States and internationally through its online offerings.