LAUR
Laureate Education, Inc. Consumer Defensive - Education & Training Services Investor Relations →
Laureate Education, Inc. (LAUR) closed at $35.01 as of 2026-02-02, trading 114.4% above its 200-week moving average of $16.33. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 111.7% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 76, LAUR is in overbought territory.
Over the past 422 weeks of data, LAUR has crossed below its 200-week moving average 9 times. On average, these episodes lasted 9 weeks. Historically, investors who bought LAUR at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +30.3%.
With a market cap of $5.2 billion, LAUR is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 5.8%, which is healthy. Return on equity stands at 20.4%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 4.6x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 16.5% over the past three years. LAUR passes our Buffett quality screen: high return on equity, low debt, and positive free cash flow.
Over the past 8.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in LAUR would have grown to $530, compared to $278 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 22.7% vs 13.3% for the index — confirming LAUR as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: LAUR vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After LAUR Crosses Below the Line?
Across 9 historical episodes, buying LAUR when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +20.6% after 12 months (median +19.0%), compared to +13.3% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 89% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +35.9% vs +30.2% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment LAUR crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
LAUR has crossed below its 200-week MA 9 times with an average 1-year return of +30.3% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2018 | May 2018 | 16 | 10.8% | +10.6% | +429.9% |
| Jun 2018 | Jul 2018 | 1 | 1.2% | +9.6% | +425.1% |
| Nov 2018 | Nov 2018 | 1 | 1.3% | +13.9% | +419.3% |
| Dec 2018 | Dec 2018 | 1 | 5.3% | +25.9% | +441.4% |
| Mar 2019 | Mar 2019 | 1 | 1.4% | +26.1% | +418.6% |
| Mar 2020 | Dec 2020 | 39 | 44.6% | -2.0% | +406.7% |
| Dec 2020 | May 2021 | 21 | 14.7% | +49.5% | +416.8% |
| Jul 2021 | Jul 2021 | 2 | 0.5% | +40.3% | +419.7% |
| Nov 2021 | Nov 2021 | 1 | 20.0% | +98.7% | +536.1% |
| Average | 9 | — | +30.3% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02