Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) Shares Gap Up After Strong Earnings

Perdoceo Education Corporation (NASDAQ:PRDO)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $31.53, but opened at $32.78. Perdoceo Education shares last traded at $32.9670, with a volume of 52,959 shares traded.

The company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $211.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $209.95 million. Perdoceo Education had a net margin of 19.24% and a return on equity of 17.22%. The company’s revenue was up 20.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. Perdoceo Education has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.830-0.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.970-3.120 EPS.

Perdoceo Education Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Perdoceo Education’s payout ratio is currently 25.64%.

Perdoceo Education News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat: Perdoceo reported $0.59 EPS vs. $0.54 consensus and revenue of $211.6M (up 20% YoY), with a 19.2% net margin — the quarter shows solid operating leverage and enrollment-driven growth. Business Wire: Q4 & FY2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Strong guidance lift: Perdoceo raised FY2026 EPS to $2.97–$3.12 (above consensus ~2.78) and set Q1 FY2026 EPS at $0.83–$0.85 (well above consensus ~0.54). The guidance increase materially improves forward earnings visibility. Business Wire: Guidance Update
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability & capital returns: Management expects up to $263M of adjusted operating income in 2026, is expanding enrollments and running a share repurchase program — all supportive of EPS expansion and shareholder returns. Seeking Alpha: 2026 Adjusted Operating Income & Repurchase Program
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Board approved a $0.15 quarterly dividend (record Mar 2, pay Mar 13), implying ~1.9% yield — modest but signals confidence in free cash flow. (Company announcement 2/19/26)
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials / details available: The company released prepared remarks and the full earnings call transcript and multiple Q4 snapshots for deeper read — useful for modeling but not new catalysts by themselves. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Call Transcript Yahoo: Q4 Highlights

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Perdoceo Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of Perdoceo Education in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Perdoceo Education in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Perdoceo Education

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Perdoceo Education by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,465,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,969,000 after purchasing an additional 115,797 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Perdoceo Education by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 2,905,796 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,227,000 after acquiring an additional 278,825 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Perdoceo Education by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,411,020 shares of the company’s stock worth $70,715,000 after acquiring an additional 19,658 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Perdoceo Education by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,850,189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,678,000 after purchasing an additional 29,927 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC raised its position in Perdoceo Education by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Frontier Capital Management Co. LLC now owns 1,752,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,291,000 after purchasing an additional 33,967 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.46% of the company’s stock.

Perdoceo Education Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 14.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $30.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $32.06. The company has a quick ratio of 4.45, a current ratio of 4.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

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.