Laureate Education Inc

Laureate Education raised its full-year 2026 financial guidance across all primary metrics, citing operational outperformance and favorable foreign exchange translation. The company now expects revenue between $1.92 billion and $1.93 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $593 million to $599 million, and adjusted earnings per share of $2.04 to $2.10. New enrollments grew 10% year to date through June, driving a 6% increase in total enrollments to approximately 507,700 students. Second-quarter revenue reached $616 million, an 8% increase on a constant currency basis, while adjusted EBITDA rose 8% to $251 million. The company also announced a $150 million increase to its share repurchase program, having already bought back $181 million in shares during the first half of 2026.

Laureate Education has announced a three-year agreement with Google Cloud to accelerate AI-powered learning across its network of institutions in Mexico and Peru. The partnership will deploy Gemini Enterprise, Google Cloud Platform, Google Workspace for Education, Gemini for Education, and other AI offerings to approximately 500,000 students. The initiative aims to unify data across hundreds of applications, personalize learning, and enhance faculty support, accompanied by implementation and change-management services. President and CEO Eilif Serck-Hanssen said the collaboration puts world-class technology in the hands of educators to evolve teaching and better prepare graduates. Google Cloud's Milton Larsen highlighted the shared commitment to AI training and skill development for over half a million students.

Consumer discretionary education services stocks reported strong first-quarter results, with aggregate revenues beating analyst consensus estimates by 1.9%. Bright Horizons posted revenue of $712.2 million, up 7% year on year and in line with expectations, but its stock fell 14% after reporting. Lincoln Educational led the group with revenue of $144 million, a 22.5% increase that beat estimates by 5.7%, and its stock rose 15.1%. Strategic Education was the weakest performer, with flat revenue of $305.9 million missing estimates by 1.2%, and its stock declined 5.7%. Laureate Education and Covista also beat revenue expectations, with shares up 20.7% and 8.9% respectively.

Laureate Education reported first-quarter revenues of $272.6 million, a 15.4% year-on-year increase that exceeded analyst expectations by 2.2%, while also beating EPS and EBITDA estimates. The company, part of a five-stock consumer discretionary education services group that collectively beat revenue consensus by 1.9%, raised its full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance after completing approximately $105 million in share repurchases during the quarter. Among peers, Lincoln Educational posted the fastest revenue growth at 22.5% and the biggest beat, while Strategic Education saw flat revenues and the weakest performance against estimates. Laureate Education shares have risen 15.4% since the report, contrasting with an average 1.2% decline across the tracked group.