Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Meets Expectations

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.76, FiscalAI reports. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 22.99% and a net margin of 12.86%.The company had revenue of $541.39 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $527.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.62 earnings per share. Laureate Education’s revenue was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Laureate Education updated its FY 2026 guidance to 1.950-2.030 EPS.

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

• Laureate reported a strong 2025 with $1.702 billion revenue, $519 million Adjusted EBITDA (30.5% margin, a record), ended the year with a net cash position, and returned $217 million to shareholders via buybacks while the board authorized an additional $150 million repurchase.
• 2026 guidance is constructive — revenue of $1.890–$1.905 billion (11%–12% reported), Adjusted EBITDA of $583–$593 million, adjusted EPS of $1.95–$2.03, ~50bps margin expansion and ~50% Adjusted EBITDA to unlevered free cash flow conversion.
• Growth initiatives center on scaling fully online programs (>100,000 online students), AI and digital investments (claimed to improve retention and outcomes), and expansion in health sciences plus new campus openings to broaden capacity and address long‑term demand.
• A rising mix of lower‑priced fully online enrollments—especially in Peru—is pressuring average revenue per student, and face‑to‑face capacity constraints in Peru will persist until new campus projects come online.
• Seasonal and academic calendar timing shifted roughly $25 million of revenue (and ~$21 million of Adjusted EBITDA) into Q4 2025, and Q1 2026 guidance reflects a seasonal loss (Adjusted EBITDA of approximately –$20M to –$17M) due to out‑of‑session timing and new campus investments.

Laureate Education Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LAUR traded down $0.51 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $34.59. 516,081 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 913,181. The company’s 50 day moving average is $34.36 and its 200 day moving average is $30.92. Laureate Education has a one year low of $17.91 and a one year high of $37.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a PE ratio of 25.23 and a beta of 0.57.

Laureate Education declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $150.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 3.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Laureate Education News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong revenue beat and growth: Q4 revenue of $541.4M topped consensus of $527.1M and rose ~27.9% year-over-year, signaling solid demand recovery. MarketBeat Q4/press
• Positive Sentiment: Share repurchase boost: management increased the buyback authorization by $150 million, a cash-return action that supports EPS and shareholder value. GlobeNewswire press release
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 outlook supports growth: company provided EPS guidance of $1.95–$2.03 (around consensus) and revenue guidance near $1.9B, above the prior consensus of ~$1.8B — a modestly constructive signal for next‑year revenue. GlobeNewswire outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Profitability & margins on the radar: net margin expanded and management emphasized margin expansion as a focus, which could support longer‑term margin improvement but will take time to materialize. Investing.com margin story
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call available: the full Q4 2025 earnings call transcript provides management commentary on enrollment trends, margins and capital allocation for investors doing deeper due diligence. Seeking Alpha transcript
• Negative Sentiment: EPS only met estimates: GAAP EPS of $0.76 matched consensus rather than meaningfully beating, which may have disappointed investors looking for upside; that likely contributed to the stock decline. MarketBeat EPS summary
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and volume: shares fell on the print despite positives — lower-than-average intraday volume suggests the move may reflect short-term profit-taking or tempered investor enthusiasm rather than a decisive change in fundamentals. MarketBeat quote

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on LAUR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Laureate Education currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $34.88.

Institutional Trading of Laureate Education

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LAUR. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Laureate Education during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Laureate Education by 328.6% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in Laureate Education in the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in Laureate Education during the second quarter worth $108,000. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 26.2% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 3,617 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 751 shares during the period. 96.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Laureate Education

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.