Coursera (NYSE:COUR) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock investors purchased 5,405 call options on the company. This is an increase of 247% compared to the average daily volume of 1,557 call options.

Coursera Trading Down 25.1%

Shares of COUR stock traded down $1.17 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $3.49. 28,203,144 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,111,652. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $5.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $5.71. Coursera has a 1 year low of $3.45 and a 1 year high of $8.89. The stock has a market cap of $922.76 million, a PE ratio of -5.21, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.24.

Coursera (NYSE:COUR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $376.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $368.52 million. Coursera had a negative return on equity of 1.72% and a negative net margin of 15.39%. The company’s revenue was up 94.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Coursera will post 0.20 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Coursera news, SVP Alan B. Cardenas sold 9,139 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.71, for a total transaction of $52,183.69. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 236,237 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,348,913.27. The trade was a 3.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Gregory M. Hart sold 10,308 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.11, for a total value of $52,673.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,539,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,864,305.33. This represents a 0.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 16.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Coursera

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of COUR. Optiver Holding B.V. bought a new position in Coursera during the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in shares of Coursera by 63.2% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 2,152 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Coursera by 299.7% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 4,433 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Coursera by 54.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 2,672 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in shares of Coursera in the second quarter valued at $40,000. 89.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Coursera

Here are the key news stories impacting Coursera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Coursera reported third-quarter revenue of approximately $377 million and adjusted earnings of $0.21 per share, exceeding consensus estimates. Revenue increased 94% year over year, while earnings more than doubled from $0.10 per share in the prior-year quarter. Coursera Q3 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects more than $150 million in gross cost savings by year-end as integration efforts progress, supporting the potential for margin expansion and operating efficiencies. Coursera Q4 Revenue and Cost Savings Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity saw traders purchase 5,405 call options, roughly 247% above average call volume, indicating heightened speculative interest and potential bullish positioning.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on COUR shares. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Coursera from $7.00 to $5.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. KeyCorp downgraded shares of Coursera from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Friday. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Coursera from $7.00 to $4.50 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Coursera from $8.00 to $6.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Coursera from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $6.36.

Coursera Company Profile

Coursera, Inc is an online learning platform that provides access to courses, professional certificates, guided projects, and degree programs. The company works with universities, colleges, and industry partners to offer content in areas such as business, technology, data science, computer science, and personal development.

Coursera serves individual learners, businesses, governments, and academic institutions in countries around the world. Its enterprise and government offerings support employee training, workforce development, and large-scale education initiatives, while its consumer platform allows learners to enroll in individual courses or broader credential and degree programs.

Coursera was founded in 2012 by computer-science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller.