Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) Lowered to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Afya from “Buy” to “Hold,” joining several analysts with neutral or hold ratings. MarketBeat data shows an average “Hold” rating and an $18.00 target price.
• Afya reported quarterly EPS of $0.43, exceeding the $0.40 consensus estimate, while revenue totaled $187.8 million versus expectations of $189.62 million.
• Shares opened at $13.84, near the lower end of their 52-week range, while insiders sold 87,745 shares worth approximately $1.31 million over the past 90 days.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Afya from $21.50 to $21.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Bank of America reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Afya in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Afya from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Afya from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $18.00.

Afya Trading Up 3.2%

Shares of AFYA opened at $13.84 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.78. The firm has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $14.41. Afya has a 1 year low of $13.00 and a 1 year high of $16.50.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.03. Afya had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 20.55%.The firm had revenue of $187.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $189.62 million. On average, equities analysts expect that Afya will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Afya news, VP Lelio De Souza Junior sold 36,204 shares of Afya stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total transaction of $543,060.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Gomiero Mirella Basolli sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.80, for a total transaction of $148,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 34,530 shares in the company, valued at $511,044. This trade represents a 22.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 87,745 shares of company stock valued at $1,314,175. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Afya

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AFYA. Swedbank AB raised its position in Afya by 170.3% in the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 189,200 shares of the company's stock worth $2,916,000 after purchasing an additional 119,200 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Afya by 25.8% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 126,914 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,955,000 after buying an additional 26,005 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Afya by 11.9% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 86,201 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,540,000 after buying an additional 9,192 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Afya by 5.6% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 68,169 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,217,000 after buying an additional 3,626 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Afya by 16.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,378 shares of the company's stock valued at $930,000 after buying an additional 8,610 shares during the last quarter. 88.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Afya

Here are the key news stories impacting Afya this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profitability improved: Afya reported second-quarter revenue of $187.8 million, up 10.95% year over year, while net income rose 22.57% to $38.9 million. Diluted EPS increased to $0.43 from $0.40, and operating cash flow reached $64.3 million. Afya Second-Quarter and First-Half 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: EPS exceeded the broader consensus: The company’s $0.43 quarterly EPS surpassed the reported consensus estimate of $0.40, while Afya maintained a healthy 20.2% net margin and 17.94% return on equity. Afya Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Cost and balance-sheet trends were supportive: Capital spending declined year over year, cash and equivalents totaled $194.4 million, and total liabilities were broadly unchanged. These factors may reinforce the investment case at a valuation of roughly 9 times earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Results were mixed depending on the benchmark: Zacks reported adjusted quarterly EPS of $0.45, slightly below its $0.46 consensus estimate, while revenue also lagged some expectations. Afya Q2 Earnings and Revenues
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 revenue guidance was below expectations: Afya projected revenue of $750.2 million to $778.7 million, below the $781.6 million consensus estimate. EPS guidance was not provided in the supplied update, increasing uncertainty around the full-year outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional selling may weigh on sentiment: Recent data showed 19 insider sales and no insider purchases over six months, while more institutional investors reduced positions than added them. Afya Q2 Earnings and Institutional Activity

Afya Company Profile

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya's offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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