Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 242,850 Shares of Coursera, Inc. $COUR

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) by 273.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 331,500 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 242,850 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Coursera were worth $1,929,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of COUR. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Coursera in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quarry LP lifted its holdings in Coursera by 619.9% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 4,024 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 3,465 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Coursera by 224.1% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 4,939 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 3,415 shares during the period. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new position in Coursera in the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in Coursera by 163.7% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 7,330 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 4,550 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.55% of the company’s stock.

Coursera News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Coursera this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 headline results: Coursera reported adjusted earnings of $0.17 per share, exceeding the $0.11 consensus estimate, while revenue of $298.6 million topped expectations of $293.6 million and increased 59.6% year over year. Coursera Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: AI growth initiative: Coursera agreed to invest $100 million in LearnVector, an AI-focused learning company associated with chairman and AI expert Andrew Ng, acquiring roughly a one-third stake. The move could strengthen Coursera’s position in AI reskilling and expand its future product opportunities. Coursera invests $100 million in LearnVector and takes one-third stake
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-model momentum: Zacks upgraded Coursera to Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” citing improving earnings prospects. Coursera upgraded to Strong Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance was broadly in line: Third-quarter revenue guidance of $364 million to $372 million brackets the $366.5 million analyst estimate, while full-year revenue guidance of approximately $1.2 billion was consistent with expectations. Coursera anticipates 2026 adjusted EBITDA margin and synergies
• Negative Sentiment: Post-earnings selloff: Despite beating estimates, Coursera’s stock fell sharply after the Q2 release, suggesting investors may have wanted a larger forecast increase or stronger profitability outlook. Coursera plunges after Q2 results
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and governance concerns: The $100 million LearnVector investment is a sizable commitment to an AI venture linked to Coursera’s chairman and follows recently reported job cuts, potentially raising questions about near-term spending discipline and strategic focus. Coursera co-founder invests in AI reskilling after job cuts

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COUR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $7.50 price objective on shares of Coursera in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Coursera from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Zacks Research raised shares of Coursera from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on shares of Coursera from $14.00 to $10.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Coursera from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Coursera presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $8.50.

Coursera Stock Down 14.3%

NYSE COUR opened at $5.29 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $896.60 million, a PE ratio of -7.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.23. Coursera, Inc. has a 52 week low of $5.00 and a 52 week high of $12.93. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $5.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.85.

Coursera (NYSE:COUR) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $298.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $298.65 million. Coursera had a negative net margin of 15.39% and a negative return on equity of 2.08%. The company’s revenue was up 59.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.12 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Coursera, Inc. will post 0.06 EPS for the current year.

Coursera announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Monday, May 18th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 55.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Coursera

In other Coursera news, SVP Alan B. Cardenas sold 9,139 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.52, for a total transaction of $50,447.28. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 255,934 shares in the company, valued at $1,412,755.68. This represents a 3.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Insight Holdings Group, Llc sold 1,466,372 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.24, for a total value of $7,683,789.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 419,784 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,199,668.16. The trade was a 77.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,009,139 shares of company stock valued at $10,643,180. 16.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Coursera

Coursera, Inc (NYSE:COUR) operates a leading online learning platform that delivers courses, specializations, professional certificates and fully accredited degree programs in collaboration with top universities and industry partners. Founded in 2012 by Stanford University professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera’s mission is to provide universal access to world-class education and bridge skill gaps in a rapidly evolving job market.

The platform features more than 6,000 offerings created by over 275 academic institutions and corporate entities, spanning fields such as data science, business, technology, health care and the arts.