Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Downgraded by Zacks Research to “Hold”

Zacks Research lowered shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on LAUR. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Laureate Education from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Laureate Education from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Laureate Education from $40.00 to $41.50 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $39.63.

Laureate Education Stock Down 4.7%

Shares of Laureate Education stock opened at $30.09 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.30 billion, a PE ratio of 15.67 and a beta of 0.56. Laureate Education has a 52-week low of $19.71 and a 52-week high of $37.91. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.77.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.24) by $0.07. The business had revenue of $272.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $265.06 million. Laureate Education had a net margin of 16.55% and a return on equity of 23.50%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.13) earnings per share. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.080 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Laureate Education will post 2.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mirabella Financial Services LLP bought a new stake in Laureate Education during the third quarter valued at approximately $3,538,000. Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in Laureate Education by 219.5% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 213,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,729,000 after buying an additional 146,565 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans bought a new stake in Laureate Education during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,389,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Laureate Education by 50.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 59,552 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,878,000 after buying an additional 19,942 shares during the period. Finally, DNB Asset Management AS grew its position in Laureate Education by 276.9% during the third quarter. DNB Asset Management AS now owns 427,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,485,000 after buying an additional 314,120 shares during the period. 96.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Laureate Education News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: revenue of $272.6M (+15.4% YoY) topped estimates and adjusted EPS came in at ($0.17), beating the consensus loss. The better-than-expected top line and EPS surprise helped show operational momentum. Company Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.00–$2.08, signaling confidence in profitability versus prior guidance. That upward move on EPS is supportive for longer-term earnings expectations. Earnings Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Profitability metrics look healthy: reported net margin (~16.6%) and ROE (~23.5%) are notable positives, but the company still reported a GAAP loss for the quarter year-over-year. MarketBeat Summary & Call Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted the earnings call and published the transcript and slide deck — useful for investors seeking detail on enrollment trends, margins and buyback/capital allocation commentary. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue guidance came in light: FY revenue guidance and Q2 revenue range ($597M–$601M) were below consensus (~$609.8M for Q2 and ~$1.9B annual), creating concern that top-line momentum could slow. That gap likely pressured the stock. Zacks Earnings Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Company still reported a GAAP loss this quarter (EPS negative vs. year-ago), and consensus FY EPS (~2.16) remains slightly above management’s guidance range, leaving downside risk if execution slips. Higher intraday volume suggests selling pressure as investors reprice expectations. TipRanks Notice

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.