Laureate Education, Inc. research snapshot
LAUR AI stock analysis reads Laureate Education, Inc. as a focused for-profit higher education operator running five accredited universities across Mexico and Peru with roughly 501,000 enrolled students. At the August 3, 2026 data cutoff, the quoted price was $38.60, market capitalization was about $5.3 billion, and Q2 2026 results released July 30 beat estimates and lifted full-year guidance. The core question is whether continued enrollment growth, margin expansion, and a growing share repurchase program can sustain the current valuation. This page uses scenario analysis, not a certain price prediction, and it is informational research rather than investment advice.
Current price
$38.60
Market cap
~$5.3 billion
AI score
62 / 100
Rating
Quality for-profit education operator with raised guidance
Trend status
Uptrend near the 52-week high after a strong Q2 2026 beat
Data cutoff (updated monthly)
August 4, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | Laureate runs five degree-granting universities in Mexico and Peru serving about 501,400 students. The model is tuition-driven with high operating leverage and strong enrollment trends; Q2 2026 revenue rose 17% as reported and 8% in constant currency. | High |
| Moat | Moat is mainly regulatory. Operating universities requires government accreditation, licensing, and institutional recognition. Local brand recognition in Mexico and Peru adds some protection, but barriers for a for-profit educator are moderate. | Medium |
| Management | Management has kept a tight portfolio after years of restructuring and now shows capital allocation discipline through debt reduction, about $76 million of buybacks in the first half of 2026, and a new $150 million repurchase authorization announced July 30, 2026. | Medium-high |
| Financial trend | TTM revenue is about $1.83 billion with TTM net income near $322 million. FY2025 revenue was $1.70 billion, and Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.00 beat the $0.96 consensus. Net debt at June 30, 2026 was only $61.5 million. | High |
| Valuation | The stock trades near 17x TTM EPS and roughly 18x forward EPS on raised guidance. EV to adjusted EBITDA is around 9-10x. The multiple is moderate for the cash generation profile but not a deep value entry. | High for math, medium for forward value |
| Technical trend | The stock is near its 52-week high of $40.91 after a 69% one-year gain. On August 3, 2026 it touched $40.91 intraday and pulled back to $38.60, leaving the trend positive but extended with high intraday volatility. | Medium |
| Risk level | Risk is medium. Main risks are regulation in Mexico and Peru, foreign exchange moves in Mexican peso and Peruvian sol, enrollment sensitivity to economic conditions, and concentration in Latin America. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | High confidence on filings, market data, and financial metrics. Lower confidence on the regulatory trajectory and on whether the education sector multiple can expand from current levels. | Medium-high data confidence |
| Investment certainty | Medium certainty. The page supports research screening but does not justify a buy or sell action without live chart review, updated filings, and regulatory monitoring in Mexico and Peru. | Medium |
LAUR AI stock forecast
The LAUR AI stock forecast uses scenario ranges around the $38.60 quote and the company raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.04 to $2.10 on July 30, 2026. The bullish case needs sustained enrollment growth, margin expansion from operating leverage, and a stable multiple. The base case assumes growth in line with updated guidance. The bearish case assumes regulatory headwinds, foreign exchange pressure, or weaker enrollment compress both earnings and valuation.
$50.00 to $64.00
More likely if enrollment growth stays in double digits, Peru and Mexico scale efficiently, margins expand from operating leverage, the Google Cloud AI partnership lifts the value proposition, and the market rewards the stock with a higher multiple.
$40.00 to $47.00
More likely if the company delivers the raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $2.04 to $2.10 with steady enrollment growth of 4-5%, and the stock trades near its current forward P/E range of 17-19x earnings.
$28.00 to $34.00
More likely if regulatory changes in Mexico or Peru pressure enrollment, the Mexican peso or Peruvian sol weakens against the dollar, or margin compression leads to earnings disappointment and a multiple toward 14x forward earnings.
LAUR AI technical analysis
LAUR AI technical analysis starts from the $38.60 quote and the $21.53 to $40.91 52-week range as of the August 3, 2026 cutoff. The stock hit $40.91 intraday on August 3 and closed the snapshot near $38.60, so confirm moving averages, live RSI, and current volume in a charting tool before use because this static page does not fetch request-time chart data.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $38.60 | Quote used for this page as of the August 3, 2026 data cutoff. |
| Near support | $36.00 to $38.00 | The $38 zone is prior breakout area and may act as support. The $36 level represents a potential pullback zone from the recent uptrend. |
| Near resistance | $40.91 to $43.00 | The $40.91 level is the 52-week high touched on August 3, 2026. A decisive breakout above this level with volume would confirm trend continuation. |
| 50-day moving average | Requires live chart confirmation | The stock has been trending strongly, so the 50-day MA likely sits well below the current price. Check a live chart for exact levels. |
| 200-day moving average | Requires live chart confirmation | Long-term trend confirmation should be checked against a live chart or broker data before trading. |
| Momentum | Strong positive, extended | The stock is near its 52-week high after a 69% one-year return. Momentum is clearly positive, though the August 3 spike to $40.91 and pullback to $38.60 show the move is stretched. |
| Volume | 398,199 recent session | Recent volume was below the 1.25 million average, suggesting the advance has not attracted heavy distribution so far. |
| Volatility | Moderate | Beta of 0.46 suggests low relative volatility, but earnings events, education sector headlines, and Latin America currency moves can create sharp single-day swings. |
| Invalidation | Close below $36.00 | A decisive close below $36 would break the short-term uptrend and suggest a deeper correction is underway. |
LAUR AI trading strategy
The LAUR AI trading strategy is a rules-based research framework for a for-profit education operator in a confirmed uptrend. It is not personalized advice. Any setup should be paired with position sizing, stop levels, and fresh checks of filings, regulatory news in Mexico and Peru, and live price action.
Consider LAUR on pullbacks toward support zones if the uptrend structure (higher highs and higher lows on a weekly chart) remains intact. Wait for price to hold above $36 and reclaim the 50-day moving average before entry.
A close below $36 or a break of the 200-day moving average should invalidate the trend-following setup.
If LAUR breaks above $40.91 with above-average volume and a positive education sector or macro backdrop, the next resistance zone to watch is $43 to $45. Confirmation includes sustained buying volume.
A failed breakout that closes back below $38 within several sessions suggests a false breakout. Define a maximum loss before entry.
Track the evidence that matters most for Laureate: enrollment numbers by country, constant currency revenue growth, adjusted EBITDA margins, foreign exchange moves in MXN and PEN, repurchase activity, and any regulatory developments in Mexico or Peru.
Reduce confidence when price strength is driven by sector rotation or short-covering without matching operating data.
Investment research summary
Customers (students) pay Laureate for accredited higher education degrees and vocational training that improve employment prospects. The company operates five campus-based and hybrid universities across Mexico and Peru serving about 501,400 students as of June 30, 2026.
The main competitive advantage is regulatory. University accreditation and government licenses create significant barriers to entry. Local brand recognition and established campus infrastructure add to the moat, but it is not as wide as technology or consumer brand moats.
The thesis can fail if regulatory changes in Mexico or Peru restrict for-profit education, the peso or sol weakens sharply and pressures reported earnings, enrollment drops during an economic slowdown, or online competitors undercut pricing on the same degrees.
CEO Eilif Serck-Hanssen has held the portfolio tight and showed capital allocation discipline with debt reduction, about $76 million of buybacks in the first half of 2026, and a $150 million increase to the repurchase authorization announced with the Q2 2026 results.
Higher education demand stays structurally supported by the skill premium in labor markets, and Latin America has a growing middle class that wants quality degrees. The for-profit segment faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny but fills demand where public capacity is thin. The July 29, 2026 Google Cloud AI partnership adds a modernization angle.
At roughly 17x TTM EPS and about 18x forward EPS on raised guidance, LAUR trades in line with its recent history rather than at a discount. A free cash flow yield near 6% provides some support, but the valuation assumes delivery of the raised 2026 guidance and no adverse regulatory or currency shock.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAUR price | $38.60, intraday high $40.91 | Yahoo Finance LAUR quote | August 3, 2026 |
| Market capitalization | ~$5.32 billion, verified as $38.60 x 137.7M shares (0.00% deviation) | financial_rigor.py market cap verification | August 3, 2026 |
| Share count | 137.7M total shares outstanding as of June 30, 2026 | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| TTM revenue | $1.83 billion (TTM through June 2026) | StockAnalysis.com financials | July 30, 2026 |
| FY2025 revenue | $1.70 billion | AlphaQuery annual revenue data | July 30, 2026 |
| Q2 2026 revenue (ended June 30, 2026) | $615.9 million, +17% reported, +8% constant currency | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| Q2 2026 net income | $137.1 million, EPS $0.98 | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| TTM net income | ~$322 million, TTM diluted EPS ~$2.23 | StockAnalysis.com financials | July 30, 2026 |
| FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance | $2.04 to $2.10, raised from $2.00 to $2.08 | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| Total and new enrollments (H1 2026) | Total 501,400 (+6%), new +10% | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| Cash, gross debt, net debt | $161.7M cash, $223.2M gross debt, $61.5M net debt as of June 30, 2026 | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| Share repurchases | ~$76 million repurchased in H1 2026; $150 million added to authorization July 30, 2026 | Laureate Q2 2026 earnings release | July 30, 2026 |
| 52-week range and beta | $21.53 to $40.91, beta 0.46 | Yahoo Finance LAUR quote | August 3, 2026 |
| Analyst consensus | Buy rating, average price target about $41 (range $34.50 to $45.00) | StockAnalysis.com analyst summary | August 1, 2026 |
| Scenario valuation | Bull $64.00, base $46.90, bear $30.80 from a three-year EPS and P/E scenario model using $2.07 starting EPS with 12%, 8%, and 2% EPS growth and 22x, 18x, and 14x terminal P/E | financial_rigor.py three-scenario calculation | August 3, 2026 |
This LAUR AI stock analysis page is an informational tool only. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of future returns. Forecast scenarios are based on available data as of August 3, 2026, may be incomplete, and can be wrong if new filings, market prices, company events, regulatory changes in Mexico or Peru, foreign exchange moves, or macro conditions shift.
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