KBC Group NV Buys 153,354 Shares of Laureate Education $LAUR

Key Points

• KBC Group NV sharply increased its stake in Laureate Education, buying 153,354 shares in the first quarter and boosting its holdings by 3,232.6% to 158,098 shares worth about $5.5 million.
• Other institutional investors also adjusted positions in LAUR, and institutions now own 96.27% of the company’s stock, underscoring heavy professional ownership.
• Laureate Education reported quarterly results that beat expectations, with EPS of ($0.17) versus an expected $(0.24) and revenue of $272.61 million, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $40.90.

KBC Group NV increased its position in Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR - Free Report) by 3,232.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 158,098 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 153,354 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV owned about 0.11% of Laureate Education worth $5,508,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Laureate Education in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 109.0% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,097 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 572 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Laureate Education by 328.6% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in Laureate Education in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Laureate Education in the 4th quarter worth $100,000. Institutional investors own 96.27% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on LAUR. Weiss Ratings raised Laureate Education from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Laureate Education from $41.50 to $41.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Laureate Education from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Zacks Research downgraded Laureate Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Laureate Education from $37.50 to $39.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $40.90.

Laureate Education Price Performance

Shares of Laureate Education stock opened at $36.60 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $5.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.26 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.57. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $35.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.55. Laureate Education has a one year low of $21.53 and a one year high of $40.75.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.24) by $0.07. The company had revenue of $272.61 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $265.06 million. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 22.07% and a net margin of 16.08%.Laureate Education's quarterly revenue was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.13) EPS. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.080 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Laureate Education will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

Laureate Education 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.

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