Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Saturday.

LAUR has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $33.75.

Laureate Education Trading Up 2.5%

LAUR opened at $34.77 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.38 and a beta of 0.57. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $34.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.80. Laureate Education has a 1-year low of $17.91 and a 1-year high of $36.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Laureate Education declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Laureate Education in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD acquired a new stake in shares of Laureate Education in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in shares of Laureate Education by 109.0% in 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 during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Laureate Education by 328.6% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Francis Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Laureate Education during the 3rd quarter worth about $102,000. 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.