Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 5,989,225 shares, a growth of 92.9% from the March 15th total of 3,104,862 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,288,032 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Currently, 4.2% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LAUR. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Laureate Education during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD bought a new position in shares of Laureate Education during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 109.0% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,097 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 572 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 328.6% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Laureate Education during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors own 96.27% of the company’s stock.

Laureate Education Stock Performance

Shares of LAUR opened at $33.19 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.67 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Laureate Education has a one year low of $18.56 and a one year high of $37.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.29 and a beta of 0.56. The business has a fifty day moving average of $33.94 and a 200 day moving average of $32.64.

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.76. Laureate Education had a return on equity of 23.50% and a net margin of 16.55%.The company had revenue of $541.39 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $527.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.62 earnings per share. Laureate Education’s revenue was up 27.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Laureate Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.030 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Laureate Education will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on LAUR shares. Zacks Research upgraded Laureate Education from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Laureate Education from $40.00 to $41.50 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Laureate Education from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Laureate Education presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $39.63.

Laureate Education Company Profile

Laureate Education, Inc (NASDAQ: LAUR) is a leading global network of higher education institutions dedicated to providing undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs to a diverse student body. The company designs and delivers academic offerings through a combination of campus-based and online platforms, focusing on fields such as business, health sciences, engineering, education and hospitality management. By aligning its curriculum with regional workforce needs, Laureate aims to equip students with practical skills and industry insights that support career advancement and lifelong learning.

Through its network, Laureate operates a broad portfolio of universities and colleges, including both longstanding campus institutions and digitally native programs.