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

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 23.54% and a net margin of 17.57%. The business had revenue of $485.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $480.16 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 21.2% on a year-over-year basis.

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 Price Performance

NASDAQ LAUR traded down $2.35 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $33.66. The company had a trading volume of 688,992 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,310,225. Laureate Education has a 52 week low of $24.98 and a 52 week high of $40.92. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.09, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.41.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on LAUR shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Laureate Education from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Barrington Research initiated coverage on Laureate Education in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $45.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Laureate Education from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Laureate Education from $34.50 to $36.50 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Laureate Education presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $40.90.

Insider Transactions at Laureate Education

In other news, Director Ian Snow sold 427,019 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.26, for a total transaction of $15,483,708.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,646,324 shares in the company, valued at $59,695,708.24. The trade was a 20.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 521,229 shares of company stock valued at $19,103,350. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Laureate Education

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, exceeding the roughly $480.2 million analyst estimate. Adjusted EPS was $0.52 versus the $0.48 consensus, while net income increased to $101.2 million from $34.4 million. Laureate Education third-quarter financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Operating income climbed to $119.1 million from $71.5 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased to $146.8 million from $94.8 million. New enrollments rose 9% during the first nine months, with total enrollment up 6%, supporting continued business momentum. Laureate Q3 revenue and earnings growth
• Positive Sentiment: Laureate increased its share-repurchase authorization by $150 million, leaving approximately $225.2 million available for buybacks. Repurchases could support earnings per share and provide a return of capital to shareholders. Laureate adds $150 million to buyback authorization
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reaffirmed its 2026 revenue outlook of $1.92 billion to $1.93 billion rather than raising expectations. The unchanged outlook indicates execution remains on track, but may have disappointed investors looking for an upward revision after the quarterly beat. Laureate reaffirms 2026 guidance
• Negative Sentiment: The shares have pulled back despite the strong results, suggesting the earnings beat and buyback expansion were already partly reflected in the stock price or that investors are focused on the lack of higher guidance. Continued execution and evidence that enrollment growth can persist will likely be important for a renewed advance.

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).