Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Hits New 12-Month High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $40.93 and last traded at $39.7180, with a volume of 216963 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $38.41.

The company reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.04. Laureate Education had a net margin of 16.08% and a return on equity of 22.07%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.79 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 17.5% on a year-over-year basis. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.040-2.100 EPS.

Key Stories Impacting Laureate Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue increased 17% year over year to $615.9 million, while net income rose 41% to $137.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA climbed 17% to $250.6 million, and adjusted EPS of $1.00 exceeded the $0.96 consensus estimate. Laureate Education second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying demand remained healthy: first-half new enrollments grew 10% and total enrollments increased 6% to 501,400 students, supporting expectations for continued revenue growth. Laureate Education enrollment and guidance update
• Positive Sentiment: Laureate raised its fiscal 2026 outlook to $1.920 billion-$1.930 billion in revenue, $593 million-$599 million in adjusted EBITDA and $2.04-$2.10 in adjusted EPS, citing stronger operations and favorable foreign exchange. It also authorized an additional $150 million for share repurchases after buying back approximately $76 million of stock during the first half. Laureate Education earnings call
• Positive Sentiment: A new three-year agreement with Google Cloud will expand AI-powered learning, digital capabilities and career-focused programs across Laureate’s universities, potentially strengthening its competitive position over time. Laureate Education Google Cloud partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: First-half reported growth benefited substantially from currency movements; revenue increased 6% on a constant-currency basis. Approximately $9 million of revenue and adjusted EBITDA was deferred by academic-calendar timing, although management expects the impact to reverse in the second half.
• Negative Sentiment: The new adjusted EPS outlook of $2.04-$2.10 remains below the $2.13 analyst consensus, and third-quarter revenue guidance of $471 million-$476 million is below the $481 million consensus, potentially limiting near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: Gross debt increased to approximately $223.2 million, while recent reported insider activity consisted of sales rather than purchases. These factors may temper investor enthusiasm despite the strong operating results.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LAUR shares. Weiss Ratings raised Laureate Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Laureate Education from $37.50 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley lowered Laureate Education from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $34.50 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday. Zacks Research downgraded Laureate Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Barrington Research initiated coverage on Laureate Education in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $45.00 price objective for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $40.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAUR. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Laureate Education during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Laureate Education by 109.0% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,097 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Laureate Education by 328.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in Laureate Education during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Laureate Education during the fourth quarter worth $100,000. 96.27% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Laureate Education Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $5.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.63.

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.