Comparing Stride (NYSE:LRN) and Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED)

Stride (NYSE:LRN) and Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE:PXED) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and risk.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Stride and Phoenix Education Partners”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Stride	$2.52 billion	1.26	$338.19 million	$7.25	10.40
Phoenix Education Partners	$1.02 billion	0.70	$88.86 million	$2.29	8.52

Stride has higher revenue and earnings than Phoenix Education Partners. Phoenix Education Partners is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Stride, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

98.2% of Stride shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.9% of Stride shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.0% of Phoenix Education Partners shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Stride and Phoenix Education Partners, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Stride	0	4	2	1	2.57
Phoenix Education Partners	2	5	1	1	2.11

Stride presently has a consensus target price of $106.25, indicating a potential upside of 40.95%. Phoenix Education Partners has a consensus target price of $31.67, indicating a potential upside of 62.35%. Given Phoenix Education Partners’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Phoenix Education Partners is more favorable than Stride.

Profitability

This table compares Stride and Phoenix Education Partners’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Stride	13.18%	22.06%	14.74%
Phoenix Education Partners	8.74%	55.76%	29.98%

Summary

Stride beats Phoenix Education Partners on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Stride

Stride, Inc. is an education technology company that provides online and blended learning programs, curriculum, and related services. Its offerings support students from kindergarten through high school, as well as learners pursuing career-focused education. The company works with public school districts and other education partners to deliver virtual and hybrid instruction. Its programs include online courses, teacher-led instruction, and career learning pathways designed to help students build skills for further education and employment.

About Phoenix Education Partners

Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. is a higher education company focused on serving working adults and other nontraditional students. Through the University of Phoenix, its principal operating institution, the company provides career-oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs, professional certificates, and other educational offerings. The University of Phoenix primarily delivers instruction through online learning, with programs designed to offer flexible scheduling for students balancing education with employment and other responsibilities.