Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) Lowered to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Saturday morning.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Afya from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Afya in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Afya from $21.50 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Afya from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Afya has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.00.

Afya Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of AFYA opened at $13.84 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.44, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.34. Afya has a 52 week low of $13.00 and a 52 week high of $16.50. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $14.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Afya (NASDAQ:AFYA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.03. Afya had a return on equity of 18.02% and a net margin of 20.55%.The company had revenue of $187.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $189.62 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Afya will post 1.84 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Afya news, VP Gomiero Mirella Basolli sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.80, for a total transaction of $148,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 34,530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $511,044. This represents a 22.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Lelio De Souza Junior sold 41,541 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.00, for a total value of $623,115.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 36,204 shares in the company, valued at approximately $543,060. The trade was a 53.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 87,745 shares of company stock worth $1,314,175 in the last quarter. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Afya

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in Afya by 15.7% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 10,170 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,000 after acquiring an additional 1,377 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. acquired a new position in Afya during the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Afya by 5.6% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 68,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,217,000 after purchasing an additional 3,626 shares in the last quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP purchased a new position in Afya during the second quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd grew its position in shares of Afya by 22.3% in the fourth quarter. Fairtree Asset Management Pty Ltd now owns 30,697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $473,000 after purchasing an additional 5,599 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.02% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Afya

Here are the key news stories impacting Afya this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profitability improved: Afya reported second-quarter revenue of $187.8 million, up 10.95% year over year, while net income rose 22.57% to $38.9 million. Diluted EPS increased to $0.43 from $0.40, and operating cash flow reached $64.3 million. Afya Second-Quarter and First-Half 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: EPS exceeded the broader consensus: The company’s $0.43 quarterly EPS surpassed the reported consensus estimate of $0.40, while Afya maintained a healthy 20.2% net margin and 17.94% return on equity. Afya Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Cost and balance-sheet trends were supportive: Capital spending declined year over year, cash and equivalents totaled $194.4 million, and total liabilities were broadly unchanged. These factors may reinforce the investment case at a valuation of roughly 9 times earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Results were mixed depending on the benchmark: Zacks reported adjusted quarterly EPS of $0.45, slightly below its $0.46 consensus estimate, while revenue also lagged some expectations. Afya Q2 Earnings and Revenues
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2026 revenue guidance was below expectations: Afya projected revenue of $750.2 million to $778.7 million, below the $781.6 million consensus estimate. EPS guidance was not provided in the supplied update, increasing uncertainty around the full-year outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional selling may weigh on sentiment: Recent data showed 19 insider sales and no insider purchases over six months, while more institutional investors reduced positions than added them. Afya Q2 Earnings and Institutional Activity

Afya Company Profile

Afya Ltd. operates as a leading provider of medical education and training services in Brazil. The company offers a comprehensive suite of educational programs that span undergraduate medical degrees, residency exam preparation, continuing medical education (CME) and digital learning platforms. Through a network of partner institutions and its own campus operations, Afya supports students at every stage of the medical training continuum, from enrollment in medical schools to ongoing professional development for practicing physicians.

At the core of Afya’s offerings is its undergraduate medical program, delivered through a combination of in-person courses at affiliated campuses and fully digital curricula.