Laureate Education, Inc. (LAUR) Stock Price & Analysis
Laureate Education, Inc. (LAUR) is trading at USD 39.03, up 0.62% today, as of October 23, 2026 at 15:06 UTC (US market open; quotes may be delayed), according to Nexqual market data.
LAUR last closed at USD 38.79; today's session has ranged USD 38.69–39.41 on volume of 148,576 shares. Market capitalization is $5.38B, with a 52-week range of USD 24.98–40.93 (NMS). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/LAUR.md
Key facts (LAUR)
- Last four reported quarters (through Jun 30, 2026): revenue $1.83B, net income $322M (17.6% margin), free cash flow $287M (SEC filings).
- Valuation: P/E 16.7x (avg 15.8x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends), net debt $2.8M.
- 1 of 80 tracked superinvestors hold LAUR (13F, Q2 2026): 0 new, 1 added, 0 reduced, 0 unchanged.
- Insider open-market sales, last ~7 months: 1 Form 4 filings, $19.1M; 1 not under a Rule 10b5-1 plan ($19.1M); 1 by opportunistic insiders (1 outside 10b5-1 plans), 0 by routine insiders (three-year test, Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski 2012).
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.14 on a 1–5 scale) (7 analysts), mean target USD 41.5 (range 36.5–45).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +31.1% vs S&P 500 +14.8%; 5Y +384.4% vs S&P 500 +77.5%.
- Next earnings: 2026-10-29, EPS estimate USD 0.46, revenue estimate $477M.
Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters) (LAUR)
| USD | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.09B | $1.24B | $1.48B | $1.57B | $1.70B | $1.83B |
| Gross profit | $272M | $335M | $395M | $420M | $482M | — |
| Operating income | -$4.6M | $270M | $339M | $374M | $431M | $447M |
| Net income | $192M | $69.6M | $108M | $296M | $282M | $322M |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.01 | $0.41 | $0.68 | $1.92 | $1.89 | — |
| Free cash flow | -$207M | $125M | $194M | $161M | $263M | $287M |
| Gross margin | 25.0% | 27.0% | 26.6% | 26.8% | 28.3% | — |
| Operating margin | -0.4% | 21.7% | 22.8% | 23.9% | 25.3% | 24.4% |
| Net margin | 17.7% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 18.9% | 16.5% | 17.6% |
| Revenue growth | +6.0% | +14.3% | +19.5% | +5.5% | +8.6% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $325M | $85.2M | $89.4M | $91.3M | $147M | — |
| Total debt | $105M | $176M | $112M | $59.0M | $73.1M | — |
Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.
Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jun 30, 2026) (LAUR)
P/E 16.7x · P/S 2.9x · EV/Sales 2.9x · P/FCF 18.8x · P/B 4.7x · FCF yield 5.33% · Earnings yield 5.98% · Buyback yield (TTM) 6.13% · Net debt $2.8M · EV $5.38B
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2025 17.8x, Dec 2024 9.5x, Dec 2023 20.1x.
Superinvestors (SEC 13F-HR, Q2 2026) (LAUR)
1 of 80 tracked investors hold LAUR. Each row is the investor's latest 13F; change is vs their prior-quarter share count.
| Investor | Firm | % of portfolio | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge & Cox Funds | Dodge & Cox | <0.01% | $988K | Added +25.4% |
Insider sales (SEC Form 4, open-market, last ~7 months) (LAUR)
0 of 1 under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan (scheduled in advance). Unplanned sales were timed by the insider.
| Trade date | Insider | Role | Shares | Value | % of holdings sold | 10b5-1 plan | Insider type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-31…2026-09-02 | Snow Ian Kendell | Director | 521,229 | $19.1M | 24% | No | Opportunistic (traded every year 2023–2025, no repeating month) |
% of holdings sold = shares sold ÷ (shares sold + all holdings the insider reported on that Form 4, direct and through trusts).
Insider type follows Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski (Journal of Finance, 2012). An insider who traded the stock in the same calendar month in each of the past three years is a routine trader; one who traded in each of those years without such a pattern is an opportunistic trader. In their study, trades by opportunistic insiders predicted future returns and trades by routine insiders did not. Counts open-market purchases and sales only (SEC Form 4 codes P and S) by that insider in that company. Not investment advice.
Analysts (LAUR)
Consensus Buy (mean 2.14 on a 1–5 scale), 7 analysts; mean target USD 41.5 (low 36.5, high 45).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 | Morgan Stanley | Target raised | Underweight | $34.5 → $36.5 |
| 2026-08-03 | JP Morgan | Downgrade | Overweight → Neutral | $41 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (LAUR)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-25) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +31.1% | +384.4% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.8% | +77.5% |
| Per year | +31.1% | +37.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 32.8% | 29.6% |
| Max drawdown | -16.3% (Jan 2026→Apr 2026) | -22.3% (Oct 2022→Dec 2022) |
LAUR revenue by business segment (quarter ended Jun 30, 2026)
| Line | Revenue | Share of total | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | $346.9M | 56.3% | +13.1% |
| Mexico | $269.0M | 43.7% | +23.8% |
| Total revenue | $615.9M | 100% | — |
LAUR revenue by product line (quarter ended Jun 30, 2026)
| Line | Revenue | Share of total | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $426.4M | 69.2% | +27.7% |
| Tuition and educational services | $389.9M | 63.3% | +27.3% |
| Other | $36.5M | 5.9% | +32.1% |
| Total revenue | $615.9M | 100% | — |
LAUR revenue by region (fiscal year ended Dec 31, 2025)
| Line | Revenue | Share of total | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $877.4M | 51.6% | +4.3% |
| Peru | $824.4M | 48.4% | +13.7% |
| United States | $142,000 | 0.0% | -38.5% |
| Total revenue | $1.70B | 100% | — |
As tagged by the company in its SEC 10-Q / 10-K filings (XBRL).
LAUR company outlook (results filed Jul 30, 2026)
- “Guidance and Announces $150 Million Increase in Share Repurchase Authorization MIAMI - July 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Laureate Education, Inc.”
Quoted word-for-word from the SEC 8-K results press release.
LAUR analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends Sep 2026) | $0.46 | $0.45 | +1.1% | $476.9M | 3 |
| Next quarter (ends Dec 2026) | $0.83 | $0.83 | -0.3% | $566.0M | 3 |
| Current fiscal year (ends Dec 2026) | $2.12 | $2.14 | -0.7% | $1.93B | 4 |
| Next fiscal year (ends Dec 2027) | $2.43 | $2.48 | -2.1% | $2.05B | 3 |
LAUR options: expected move
Options price a move of about ±8.8% (±$3.40) by Nov 20, 2026, which includes earnings on Oct 29, 2026. Over the last 8 reports the stock moved ±3.9% on average.
| Expiration | Days | ATM implied volatility | Expected move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2026 | 28 | 37.0% | ±8.8% |
| Dec 18, 2026 | 56 | 35.6% | ±11.6% |
| Mar 19, 2027 | 147 | 33.7% | ±17.3% |
| Jun 17, 2027 | 237 | 36.2% | ±23.4% |
30-day implied volatility 27.9% vs 19.6% realized over the last 30 trading days. Put/call ratio (volume) 0.04. Cboe delayed quotes (15 min). Expected move = at-the-money straddle.
Key Statistics (as of October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC)
| Price | USD 39.03 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 0.62% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 38.79 |
| Open | USD 38.69 |
| Day Range | USD 38.69 – 39.41 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 24.98 – 40.93 |
| Volume | 148,576 shares |
| Market Cap | $5.38B |
| Exchange | NMS |
Technical Analysis (LAUR)
Nexqual's technical model rates LAUR "STRONG BUY" based on 5 bullish and 0 bearish signals across 128 daily candles, as of October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
| Overall Signal | STRONG BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 57.47 (neutral) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 37.74) |
| MACD | 0.4 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (LAUR)
Wall Street analysts rate LAUR "Buy" based on 7 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 41.5 (range USD 36.5–45), per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Buy |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 7 |
| Mean Target | USD 41.5 |
| High Target | USD 45 |
| Low Target | USD 36.5 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 5 / 1 / 1 |
Earnings (LAUR)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-10-29 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD 0.46 |
| Revenue Estimate | $476.88M |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | USD 1 vs est 0.96 ▲ beat |
| 2026-03-31 | USD -0.15 vs est -0.22 ▲ beat |
| 2025-12-31 | USD 1.15 vs est 0.79 ▲ beat |
| 2025-09-30 | USD 0.25 vs est 0.23 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (LAUR)
| Total Revenue | $1.83B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +17.50% |
| Gross Margin | +36.80% |
| Operating Margin | +36.28% |
| Profit Margin | +17.57% |
| ROE | +29.32% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.64 |
| Current Ratio | 0.71 |
| Total Cash | $161.67M |
| Total Debt | $733.99M |
| Free Cash Flow (last four quarters to Jun 2026, SEC 10-Q / 10-K) | $286.58M (15.7% of revenue) |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
Financial Health Score (LAUR)
Nexqual rates Laureate Education, Inc.'s overall financial health "Solid" across five dimensions, as of October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
| Growth | Solid — Revenue +9% YoY (annual) |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Solid — Gross margin 37%, operating 36% (last 12 months) |
| Balance Sheet | Mixed — $162M cash and investments vs $165M debt (Jun 2026, SEC) |
| Cash Flow | Strong — FCF $287M (last 4 quarters to Jun 2026, SEC), 16% margin |
| Efficiency | Strong — ROE 29%, ROA 12.5% |
Ownership (LAUR)
| Insider Ownership | +8.85% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +100.55% |
| Shares Outstanding | 137.75M |
| Float | 126.19M |
| Short % of Float | +3.85% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
Leadership (LAUR)
Laureate Education, Inc. is led by Eilif Serck-Hanssen, President, CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
| President, CEO & Director | Eilif Serck-Hanssen |
|---|---|
| Senior VP & CFO | Richard M. Buskirk |
| Executive VP & COO | Marcelo Barbalho Cardoso |
| Senior Vice President of People & Culture | Adam Smith |
Major Backers & Investors (LAUR)
Notable institutional backers of Laureate Education, Inc. include FMR, LLC, Fidelity, CPV Partners, LLC, according to Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| FMR, LLC | 14.78% |
| Fidelity | 7.18% |
| CPV Partners, LLC | 4.13% |
| Ninety One UK Ltd | 2.79% |
| Van Berkom & Associates Inc. | 1.98% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 14.74% |
| Vanguard Group | 8.87% |
| State Street | 3.72% |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors | 3.05% |
| Geode Capital | 2.71% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC.
From Laureate Education, Inc.'s Latest SEC 10-K Filing (filed 2026-02-19)
Key Strengths & Strategy (as disclosed to the SEC)
- Our scale within the countries in which we operate facilitates distinct advantages for our students and allows us to leverage our operating model across multiple brands in Mexico and Peru.
- External assessment methodologies, such as QS Stars™, allows us to identify key areas for improvement in order to drive a culture of quality and continual innovation at our institutions.
- New programs and course offerings enable us to provide a high-quality education that we believe is desired by students and prospective employers.
- When opening a new campus or expanding existing facilities, we use best practices that we have developed to cost-effectively expedite the opening and development of that location.
Legal & Regulatory Risks (Item 1A, quoted)
- We operate a portfolio of degree-granting higher education institutions in Mexico and Peru and are subject to complex business, economic, legal, political, tax and foreign currency risks, which risks may be difficult to adequately address.
- Our institutions are subject to uncertain and varying laws and regulations, and any changes to these laws or regulations or their application to us may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
- Any breach, theft or loss of personal information that we collect or any violations of the privacy and information security laws and regulations to which we are subject could materially adversely affect our reputation and operations.
- We are incorporating artificial intelligence technologies into our programs and processes which may present business, compliance and reputational risks.
Source: SEC EDGAR 10-K, official filing. Curated by Nexqual.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAL | TAL Education Group | USD 10.27 | ▼ 1.82% |
| CVSA | Covista Inc. | USD 131.18 | ▼ 0.33% |
| LOPE | Grand Canyon Education, Inc. | USD 163.61 | ▼ 1.12% |
| XXI | Twenty One Capital, Inc. | USD 5.6 | ▼ 0.27% |
| LRN | Stride, Inc. | USD 80.23 | ▼ 0.56% |
| EDU | New Oriental Education & Techno | USD 58.31 | ▼ 0.63% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 23, 2026 at 15:07 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
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