Short Interest in Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) Drops By 14.6%

Laureate Education (NASDAQ:LAUR) saw a large decline in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 1,833,032 shares, a decline of 14.6% from the January 15th total of 2,147,019 shares. Approximately 1.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 955,164 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days. Based on an average daily volume of 955,164 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days. Approximately 1.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Laureate Education from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Laureate Education in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on Laureate Education from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Laureate Education in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Laureate Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $33.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Laureate Education

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAUR. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Laureate Education in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD acquired a new position in Laureate Education during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 109.0% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,097 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Laureate Education by 328.6% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,650 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Finally, Francis Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Laureate Education in the 3rd quarter worth $102,000. 96.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Laureate Education Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ LAUR traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $34.75. 718,642 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 892,615. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $34.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $30.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. The company has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.43 and a beta of 0.57. Laureate Education has a 52-week low of $17.91 and a 52-week high of $36.34.

Laureate Education announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 3.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

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.