The Q1 print is noisy due to calendar timing shifts that management expects to reverse in Q3 — the constant-currency revenue growth of 1% is soft but explained. The key positive is strong enrollment intake (Peru +13% new enrollments), which supports the unchanged full-year revenue/EBITDA guidance. The Adjusted EPS guidance raise is purely mechanical from buybacks, not operational improvement. Watch Q2 results for confirmation that the calendar timing reversal is on track and that constant-currency revenue growth re-accelerates toward the 6-7% full-year target.
Price Chart
Executive Summary
Laureate Education reported Q1 2026 results that were in-line with expectations on a constant-currency basis, with revenue up 15% as-reported but only 1% constant currency due to a $9M unfavorable academic calendar timing shift. The company raised its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance to $2.00-$2.08 (from $1.95-$2.03) solely due to $105M in share buybacks, while maintaining all other guidance metrics. The Q1 operating loss widened to $(27.5)M from $(13.2)M, and Adjusted EBITDA flipped to negative $(2.3)M from positive $5.4M, both impacted by the calendar timing shift that management expects to reverse in Q3.
Key Financial Metrics
Key Facts
- Q1 2026 revenue $272.6M, +15% reported, +1% constant currency (unfavorably affected by ~$9M calendar timing)
- Q1 2026 operating loss $(27.5)M vs $(13.2)M YoY; net loss $(21.6)M vs $(19.6)M YoY
- Q1 2026 Adjusted EBITDA $(2.3)M vs $5.4M YoY (seasonally low quarter, impacted by calendar timing)
- New enrollments +9%, total enrollments +6% through April 2026 intake cycle
- Full-year 2026 guidance maintained: revenue $1,890M-$1,905M, Adjusted EBITDA $583M-$593M
- Adjusted EPS guidance raised to $2.00-$2.08 (from $1.95-$2.03) reflecting $105M in Q1 share repurchases
- Q2 2026 guidance: revenue $597M-$601M, Adjusted EBITDA $239M-$243M
- Net debt of $59.7M as of March 31, 2026; $76M remaining buyback authorization
Financial Impact
Q1 revenue $272.6M vs consensus $265.1M (beat); GAAP EPS $(0.15) vs consensus $(0.22) (beat on GAAP basis, but Street tracks Adjusted EPS which was $(0.17)). Full-year Adjusted EPS guidance raised to $2.00-$2.08 from $1.95-$2.03.
Risk Factors
- Intra-year academic calendar timing shifts could cause Q2/Q3 volatility vs expectations
- FX tailwinds ($34.8M revenue benefit in Q1) may reverse if MXN/PEN weaken
- Net debt increased to $59.7M from net cash of $17.6M at year-end 2025 due to debt-funded buybacks
- Mexico constant-currency revenue declined 4% in Q1, suggesting softer underlying trends
Market Snapshot
Investment Themes
Documents Analyzed
This report is based on 7 SEC documents filed with EDGAR.
| Document | Accession Number |
|---|---|
| 8-K Filing (Primary) | 0001628280-26-028578 |
| Document: laureateq12026earningspr.htm | 0001628280-26-028578 |
| Document: laur-20260430.htm | 0001628280-26-028578 |
| Document: 0001628280-26-028578-index-headers.html | 0001628280-26-028578 |
| Document: 0001628280-26-028578-index.html | 0001628280-26-028578 |
| Document: 0001628280-26-028578.txt | 0001628280-26-028578 |
| 8-K Data (Synthetic) | 0001628280-26-028578 |
Track record builds as more directional reports settle.
Filters
| Type | Now | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oct 21, 2026 5d ago | Institutional Cluster | $38.79 | awaiting T+60 | — | $38.21 (−1.50%) |
Sep 29, 2026 27d ago | Press Release | $38.16 | awaiting T+60 | — | $38.21 (+0.13%) |
Jul 30, 2026 12w ago | 8-K | $38.41 $39.03 | ▲ +1.61% | ▼ −0.85% | $38.21 (−0.52%) |
Apr 30, 2026 25w ago | 8-K | $30.10 $37.48 | ▲ +24.54% | ▲ +21.43% | $38.21 (+26.96%) |
Apr 9, 2026 28w ago | DEFA14A | $33.39 $39.59 | ▲ +18.57% | ▲ +7.79% | $38.21 (+14.44%) |
Mar 24, 2026 30w ago | Press Release | $35.38 $37.30 | ▲ +5.43% | ▼ −8.03% | $38.21 (+8.00%) |
Mar 11, 2026 32w ago | Insider Cluster | $33.31 $33.46 | ▲ +0.45% | ▼ −11.07% | $38.21 (+14.71%) |
US Market Status
Subscribe to SecBot
Get Real-Time SEC Filing Intelligence
Comprehensive SEC filing analysis delivered the moment filings hit EDGAR. Sentiment scoring, impact analysis, and actionable insights for every material event.
Create a free account Live analysis, Telegram alerts, watchlists and the MCP server for subscribers