Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $485.09 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $480.16 million. Laureate Education had a net margin of 20.28% and a return on equity of 26.41%. The company’s revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.23 EPS.

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

• Strong enrollment and financial performance: New and total enrollments rose 8% and 6%, respectively, while third-quarter revenue reached $485 million and Adjusted EBITDA was $147 million. On a constant-currency, calendar-adjusted basis, revenue increased 6% and Adjusted EBITDA grew 14%.
• Growth momentum continued in both markets: Mexico’s primary intake grew 8%, helped by the Puebla campus, while Peru’s secondary intake increased 9%, driven by demand for fully online programs among working adults. Management highlighted same-store gains, new campuses, and online expansion as its three key growth drivers.
• Full-year 2026 guidance was reaffirmed despite recent currency weakness, with revenue projected at $1.92–$1.93 billion, Adjusted EBITDA at $593–$599 million, and adjusted EPS at $2.04–$2.10. Management expects approximately 30–50 basis points of annual margin expansion over the next several years.
• Capital returns and campus expansion were increased: The board authorized an additional $150 million for share repurchases, leaving $225 million available pro forma, while management plans campuses in Southern Lima and Mérida and expects to accelerate openings in 2028.
• Near-term results face some pressure from currency and mix: Weaker Mexican peso and Peruvian sol rates are reducing fourth-quarter guidance, while fully online growth in Peru is lowering average revenue per student and may lead to higher fourth-quarter attrition. Management also cited potential operational disruption from El Niño, although hybrid and online delivery could mitigate the impact.

Laureate Education Trading Down 7.7%

Shares of NASDAQ LAUR traded down $2.79 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $33.22. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,219,937 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,163,364. Laureate Education has a one year low of $24.98 and a one year high of $40.92. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $37.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.37 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.41.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Laureate Education from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barrington Research started coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Laureate Education from $34.50 to $36.50 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Laureate Education from a “buy (a)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Laureate Education presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $40.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Laureate Education

In related news, Director Ian Snow sold 427,019 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.26, for a total value of $15,483,708.94. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,646,324 shares in the company, valued at $59,695,708.24. This represents a 20.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold 521,229 shares of company stock worth $19,103,350 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

More Laureate Education News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose 21% year over year to $485.1 million, topping the $480.2 million consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS increased to $0.52 from $0.25 a year earlier and exceeded expectations of $0.48. Laureate Education Q3 earnings and revenues top estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability improved substantially: net income reached $101.2 million versus $34.4 million in the prior-year quarter, operating income rose to $119.1 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased to $146.8 million from $94.8 million. New enrollments grew 9%, while total enrollment increased 6%. Laureate Education third-quarter financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Laureate added $150 million to its share-repurchase authorization, leaving approximately $225.2 million available for buybacks. Repurchases could support per-share earnings and signal management’s confidence in the company’s valuation. Laureate adds $150 million to buyback authorization
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $1.92 billion to $1.93 billion and its full-year earnings guidance rather than raising expectations. This suggests execution remains on track, but may provide limited fresh upside after the earnings beat. Laureate reaffirms fiscal 2026 outlook
• Negative Sentiment: The negative investor response likely reflects high expectations already embedded in LAUR’s valuation and the lack of an increased outlook. The stock had also been trading well above its 200-day moving average before the results, increasing the potential for profit-taking despite the strong quarter.

Laureate Education Company Profile

Laureate Education, Inc is a higher education company that operates a network of universities and other learning institutions. Its institutions provide undergraduate and graduate degree programs, professional education, and online and hybrid learning options across fields such as business, health sciences, engineering, technology, and the social sciences.

The company currently serves students primarily in Mexico and Peru. Its Mexican institutions include Universidad del Valle de México (UVM) and Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC), while its Peruvian institutions include Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) and Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN).