Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.03 EPS

Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ:PRDO) announced its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.03, FiscalAI reports. Perdoceo Education had a net margin of 20.62% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The company had revenue of $215.86 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $211.07 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.60 earnings per share. Perdoceo Education’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Here are the key takeaways from Perdoceo Education’s conference call:

• Third-quarter net income rose to $44.4 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, while revenue increased 1.9% to $215.9 million. Adjusted operating income grew 8.4%, and year-to-date EPS was up 23.5%.
• Enrollment trends were favorable overall: total enrollment rose 1.6%, led by 7.5% growth at AIU System and 3.2% at St. Augustine, where revenue increased 9.8%. St. Augustine’s adjusted operating income also improved, supported by growth and operating efficiencies.
• Management raised its 2026 adjusted operating income outlook to $260 million–$263 million and expects fourth-quarter adjusted operating income of $56.9 million–$59.9 million. It expects full-year revenue growth and says St. Augustine and AIU System should contribute to operating income growth.
• The company ended the quarter with about $777 million in cash, restricted cash, and short-term investments, and continued returning capital through dividends and share repurchases. The proposed South University acquisition is expected to be funded with cash and contribute to adjusted operating income beginning in 2027, subject to closing conditions.
• CTU enrollment was relatively flat, and management expects it to remain so through year-end as record graduations and tough comparisons weigh on reported growth; it expects growth to resume in 2027. AIU System is also expected to report lower enrollment in the fourth quarter due to academic-calendar timing, while the outlook depends on assumptions about student demand, regulation, and legal costs.

Perdoceo Education Price Performance

Shares of PRDO opened at $26.88 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of 9.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.76. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $32.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $33.27. Perdoceo Education has a 1-year low of $26.24 and a 1-year high of $38.50.

Perdoceo Education Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 11th. Investors of record on Friday, November 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 27th. Perdoceo Education’s payout ratio is presently 24.82%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PRDO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Perdoceo Education in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Perdoceo Education from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.00.

Insider Activity at Perdoceo Education

In other Perdoceo Education news, Chairman Gregory L. Jackson sold 11,271 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.78, for a total value of $358,192.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 64,949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,064,079.22. The trade was a 14.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Todd S. Nelson sold 46,199 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.89, for a total value of $1,519,485.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 301,782 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,925,609.98. This represents a 13.28% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.46% of the company’s stock.

About Perdoceo Education

Perdoceo Education Corporation (NASDAQ: PRDO) is a provider of postsecondary education focused primarily on online learning. Through its institutions, the company offers career-oriented academic programs designed for working adults and other nontraditional students.

Perdoceo’s education brands include American InterContinental University and Colorado Technical University, which offer associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in areas such as business, information technology, healthcare, criminal justice and engineering.