Laureate Education

Laureate Education Inc earns a 2-star quantitative star rating, indicating our belief that this share class is a somewhat unattractive choice, and investors should look elsewhere for more fruitful opportunities. The stock currently trades at a 7% premium over our quantitative fair value estimate of $36.09 per share; however, this estimate should be taken with a pinch of salt due to its medium uncertainty rating.

The firm's valuation metrics weaken our fair value estimate. A company's valuation metrics provide insights into the market's expectations for its future growth and profitability. Reflecting the firm's valuation is its book value yield of 21.5%, which ranks in the bottom 20% compared with global peers. The market value of this company's shares looks expensive relative to the book (accounting) value of equity, which contributes to our view that shares are expensive.

The company's unfavorable dividend structure is an additional cause for concern. Dividends represent a stable form of future cash flows returned to shareholders, and low dividend payments can increase the perceived risk of a business. The firm's forward dividend yield of 0%, for example, falls in the bottom 30% compared with peers globally. This could imply a planned dividend cut or relatively high share price, which further promotes our unfavorable price/fair value ratio.

In addition to the aforementioned drivers, our model considers momentum as part of its comprehensive analysis. This share class has outperformed the broader universe over the past year. This outperformance may signify a bull trap, in light of other detractors from our model.

The company's narrow economic moat rating suggests it should be able to maintain robust profitability for a decade or longer before competition erodes its advantage. In addition, the company's moderate financial health score is decent and doesn't seriously concern us with regard to financial distress.