Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Truist Financial Analyst Says

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) had its price target upped by Truist Financial from $80.00 to $90.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the health services provider’s stock. Truist Financial’s price target indicates a potential upside of 5.86% from the stock’s current price.

STRA has been the topic of a number of other research reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Strategic Education from $86.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Strategic Education in a report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Strategic Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Strategic Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Barrington Research set a $105.00 target price on shares of Strategic Education in a research note on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $95.33.

Strategic Education Trading Down 3.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:STRA traded down $2.60 during trading on Thursday, reaching $85.02. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 190,540 shares, compared to its average volume of 284,453. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.92 billion, a PE ratio of 15.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 0.50. Strategic Education has a 12 month low of $69.70 and a 12 month high of $89.73. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $78.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $80.15.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The health services provider reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $321.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $327.55 million. Strategic Education had a net margin of 10.21% and a return on equity of 8.78%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.54 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Strategic Education will post 7.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Strategic Education

In other Strategic Education news, insider Christa Hokenson sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total transaction of $160,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 65,195 shares in the company, valued at $5,215,600. This represents a 2.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 3.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Strategic Education

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in STRA. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Strategic Education by 3.1% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 16,195 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,360,000 after buying an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in Strategic Education by 40.2% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 43,433 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $3,647,000 after acquiring an additional 12,444 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Strategic Education by 192.7% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,162 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $99,000 after acquiring an additional 765 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Strategic Education by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 24,657 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,099,000 after purchasing an additional 4,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Strategic Education in the second quarter valued at approximately $246,000. 93.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Strategic Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic Education reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $337.3 million, up 4.9% year over year and above sales expectations in some market estimates. Growth was supported by the Education Technology Services segment, higher U.S. higher-education revenue per student and favorable foreign-exchange effects. Strategic Education Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings increased to $1.76 per share from $1.54 a year earlier, while the company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share. The payout implies an annualized dividend of $2.40 and a yield of approximately 2.7%, providing additional shareholder support. Strategic Education Sets New 12-Month High After Dividend Announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: The dividend is payable September 14 to shareholders of record September 4, with the ex-dividend date also scheduled for September 4. Shares recently reached a new 12-month high, indicating strong momentum before the earnings reaction. Strategic Education Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings of $1.76 per share fell short of consensus estimates near $1.79-$1.80. The miss, despite year-over-year earnings growth, appears to be the main reason investors are taking profits following the recent rally. Strategic Education Q2 Earnings Lag Estimates

About Strategic Education

Strategic Education, Inc is a publicly traded higher education services holding company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. Through its primary operating subsidiaries, Strayer University and Capella University, the company delivers degree programs and professional development opportunities to working adults. Its offerings span undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and workforce training in fields such as business, technology, health services, education, and public administration.

Strayer University, with a network of physical campuses across the United States complemented by an online platform, provides associate’s through doctoral degrees designed to accommodate non-traditional students.