Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Takes $2.57 Million Position in Laureate Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAUR)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Laureate Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAUR - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 140,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,573,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.09% of Laureate Education at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. J.Safra Asset Management Corp boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 34.4% in the fourth quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 3,386 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 866 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 48.4% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 6,049 shares of the company's stock valued at $111,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 10.7% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 6,976 shares of the company's stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Laureate Education in the fourth quarter valued at about $216,000. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 112.8% in the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 12,180 shares of the company's stock valued at $223,000 after purchasing an additional 6,455 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.27% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Laureate Education

In related news, Director Ian Kendell Snow sold 520,831 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.47, for a total value of $9,098,917.57. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

NASDAQ:LAUR traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $22.42. 811,653 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 744,285. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $19.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 0.59. Laureate Education, Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.60 and a 52 week high of $23.61.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on LAUR shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Laureate Education from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised Laureate Education from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

Laureate Education Profile

Laureate Education, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers higher education programs and services to students through a network of universities and higher education institutions. The company provides a range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the areas of business and management, medicine and health sciences, and engineering and information technology through campus-based, online, and hybrid programs.