Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.03 EPS

Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.03, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $215.86 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $211.07 million. Perdoceo Education had a return on equity of 18.93% and a net margin of 20.62%. The company’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.60 earnings per share.

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

• Third-quarter net income rose to $44.4 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, while revenue increased 1.9% to $215.9 million. Adjusted operating income grew 8.4%, and year-to-date EPS was up 23.5%.
• Enrollment trends were favorable overall: total enrollment rose 1.6%, led by 7.5% growth at AIU System and 3.2% at St. Augustine, where revenue increased 9.8%. St. Augustine’s adjusted operating income also improved, supported by growth and operating efficiencies.
• Management raised its 2026 adjusted operating income outlook to $260 million–$263 million and expects fourth-quarter adjusted operating income of $56.9 million–$59.9 million. It expects full-year revenue growth and says St. Augustine and AIU System should contribute to operating income growth.
• The company ended the quarter with about $777 million in cash, restricted cash, and short-term investments, and continued returning capital through dividends and share repurchases. The proposed South University acquisition is expected to be funded with cash and contribute to adjusted operating income beginning in 2027, subject to closing conditions.
• CTU enrollment was relatively flat, and management expects it to remain so through year-end as record graduations and tough comparisons weigh on reported growth; it expects growth to resume in 2027. AIU System is also expected to report lower enrollment in the fourth quarter due to academic-calendar timing, while the outlook depends on assumptions about student demand, regulation, and legal costs.

Perdoceo Education Price Performance

Shares of Perdoceo Education stock traded up $0.33 on Friday, reaching $26.88. The company had a trading volume of 1,579,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 533,601. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $32.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.27. The firm has a market cap of $1.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.76. Perdoceo Education has a 1 year low of $26.24 and a 1 year high of $38.50.

Perdoceo Education Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 27th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 27th. Perdoceo Education’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.82%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on PRDO. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Perdoceo Education in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Perdoceo Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.00.

Insider Transactions at Perdoceo Education

In other Perdoceo Education news, CEO Todd S. Nelson sold 46,199 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.89, for a total value of $1,519,485.11. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 301,782 shares in the company, valued at $9,925,609.98. This represents a 13.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Gregory L. Jackson sold 11,271 shares of Perdoceo Education stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.78, for a total value of $358,192.38. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 64,949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,064,079.22. This trade represents a 14.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.46% of the company’s stock.

About Perdoceo Education

Perdoceo Education Corporation (NASDAQ: PRDO) is a provider of postsecondary education focused primarily on online learning. Through its institutions, the company offers career-oriented academic programs designed for working adults and other nontraditional students.

Perdoceo’s education brands include American InterContinental University and Colorado Technical University, which offer associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in areas such as business, information technology, healthcare, criminal justice and engineering.