Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) Downgraded to "Hold" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Perdoceo Education to “Hold” from “Buy”, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $44.00.
• Perdoceo’s latest quarterly results were broadly in line with expectations: EPS was $0.80 and revenue was $213.35 million, up 1.8% year over year. Full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $3.10–$3.16 is slightly above the $3.11 analyst consensus, although third-quarter guidance is modestly cautious.
• Insiders sold 38,270 shares worth approximately $1.34 million over the past three months, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.46% of the stock.

Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Zacks Research cut Perdoceo Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Barrington Research set a $44.00 price objective on Perdoceo Education in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Perdoceo Education in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $44.00.

Perdoceo Education Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PRDO opened at $33.85 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.35, a PEG ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.71. Perdoceo Education has a one year low of $26.66 and a one year high of $38.50. The company's fifty day moving average is $33.15 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.73.

Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.80. The business had revenue of $213.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $212.50 million. Perdoceo Education had a return on equity of 19.14% and a net margin of 20.62%.The company's revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.67 EPS. Perdoceo Education has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.730-0.740 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Perdoceo Education will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Perdoceo Education news, Director Kenda B. Gonzales sold 9,308 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.79, for a total value of $323,825.32. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 48,158 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,675,416.82. This trade represents a 16.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Julia A. Leeman sold 11,315 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.51, for a total value of $401,795.65. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 21,924 shares in the company, valued at $778,521.24. This trade represents a 34.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 38,270 shares of company stock valued at $1,336,193. 1.46% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Perdoceo Education

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in Perdoceo Education by 72.6% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 811 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Perdoceo Education by 108.2% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 970 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in Perdoceo Education by 34.6% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,363 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Perdoceo Education by 48.8% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,132 shares of the company's stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 699 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Perdoceo Education in the fourth quarter valued at $69,000. 93.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Perdoceo Education News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Perdoceo raised its quarterly dividend 13.3% to $0.17 per share, payable September 10 to shareholders of record September 1. The increase signals confidence in cash generation and provides an annualized yield of approximately 2.0%.
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue reached approximately $213.4 million, ahead of the $212.5 million analyst estimate and 1.8% above the prior-year period. Earnings of $0.80 per share matched consensus and increased from $0.67 a year earlier, while net margin remained strong at 19.91%. Perdoceo Education Q2 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $3.10-$3.16 places the midpoint at $3.13, slightly above the $3.11 analyst consensus. This supports the view that profitability is holding up despite limited revenue growth. Perdoceo projects 2026 EPS and raises dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS guidance of $0.73-$0.74 is broadly in line with expectations, though its midpoint is modestly below the $0.74 consensus estimate. Perdoceo Education matches Q2 earnings estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Although earnings improved year over year, the quarter did not produce an upside EPS surprise, and revenue growth was only modest. The slightly cautious third-quarter outlook may limit further gains.

Perdoceo Education Company Profile

Perdoceo Education Corporation NASDAQ: PRDO is a for-profit postsecondary education provider offering certificate, associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs. The company operates primarily through two brand platforms—Colorado Technical University and American InterContinental University—delivering career-focused education both on campus and online. These programs span fields such as business, information technology, healthcare and criminal justice, targeting working adults seeking to advance or pivot their careers.

With headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, Perdoceo serves students across the United States and internationally through its online offerings.

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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