Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 57.6% in March to 3,104,862 shares (about 2.2% of the company's stock), resulting in a short-interest ratio of 1.5 days based on average daily volume.
• Laureate reported $0.76 EPS (in line with estimates) and revenue of $541.4 million, up 27.9% year-over-year, and issued FY2026 guidance of 1.95–2.03 EPS.
• Shares fell 1.8% to $34.78, the stock trades at a P/E of 18.11 with a market cap around $4.96 billion, and carries an average analyst rating of "Buy" with a $39.63 target amid ~96% institutional ownership.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 3,104,862 shares, a growth of 57.6% from the February 26th total of 1,970,235 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,022,128 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.5 days. Currently, 2.2% of the company's stock are sold short.

Laureate Education Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of Laureate Education stock traded down $0.63 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $34.78. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,163,475 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,970,124. The company has a market capitalization of $4.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.11 and a beta of 0.59. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $34.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.24. Laureate Education has a one year low of $17.91 and a one year high of $37.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Laureate Education had a net margin of 16.55% and a return on equity of 23.50%. The company had revenue of $541.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $527.10 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.62 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 27.9% on a year-over-year basis. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.030 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Laureate Education will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LAUR has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Laureate Education from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Laureate Education from $40.00 to $41.50 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered Laureate Education from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Laureate Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $39.63.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Laureate Education by 48.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 156,668 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,204,000 after buying an additional 51,337 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 98,173 shares of the company's stock worth $2,008,000 after acquiring an additional 2,838 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 7.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 407,255 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,328,000 after purchasing an additional 27,978 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 179.4% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 163,912 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,352,000 after purchasing an additional 105,247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Laureate Education by 20.0% during the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 66,933 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 11,170 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.27% of the company's stock.

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.

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