Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Trading Down 7% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares fell ~7% to about $29.36 on Thursday on very light volume (≈80,093 shares, down ~95% vs. average), pressured by a guidance gap despite recent results.
• Q1 results beat expectations with revenue of $272.6M (+15.4% YoY) and GAAP EPS of ($0.17) beating the consensus loss, but the company still reported a GAAP loss for the quarter.
• Management raised full‑year adjusted EPS guidance to $2.00–2.08, yet that range is below sell‑side consensus (~$2.21); analysts remain largely positive with an average price target near $39.63.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR - Get Free Report) shares were down 7% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $29.77 and last traded at $29.3640. Approximately 80,093 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 95% from the average daily volume of 1,547,633 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.59.

More Laureate Education News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus: revenue of $272.6M (+15.4% YoY) topped estimates and GAAP EPS of ($0.17) beat the consensus loss. Strong top-line growth and the beat reinforce operational momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company says it increased full-year adjusted EPS guidance versus its prior outlook, signaling management confidence in 2026 underlying performance. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed materials available — the company posted a slide deck and hosted a conference call for more color on enrolment trends and margin drivers, useful for modeling forward quarters. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: FY26 guidance range (EPS $2.00–2.08) is lower than sell-side consensus, and Q2 revenue guidance was issued below analysts’ estimates — a guidance gap that tends to weigh on the stock despite the quarter’s beats. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company still posted a GAAP EPS loss for the quarter and EPS is down year-over-year, underscoring that profitability improvements are ongoing rather than complete. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on LAUR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Laureate Education from $40.00 to $41.50 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research upgraded Laureate Education from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered Laureate Education from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Laureate Education from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Laureate Education from $32.00 to $36.50 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. One equities research 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $39.63.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $4.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.25 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The stock's 50 day moving average is $33.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $32.79.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.24) by $0.07. Laureate Education had a net margin of 16.55% and a return on equity of 23.50%. The firm had revenue of $272.61 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.98 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.13) EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.080 EPS. Analysts expect that Laureate Education will post 2.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Laureate Education

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quarry LP bought a new position in Laureate Education in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD bought a new position in Laureate Education in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Laureate Education by 109.0% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,097 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 572 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Laureate Education by 328.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in Laureate Education in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 96.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Laureate Education

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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