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K12 (LRN) Soars to 52-Week High, Time to Cash Out?
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Have you been paying attention to shares of Stride (LRN - Free Report) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 10.5% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $37.6 in the previous session. Stride has gained 74.1% since the start of the year compared to the -7% move for the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the -65.9% return for the Zacks Schools industry.
What's Driving the Outperformance?
The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on August 10, 2021, K12 reported EPS of $0.25 versus consensus estimate of $0.17 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 2.2%.
For the current fiscal year, K12 is expected to post earnings of $1.76 per share on $1.5 billion in revenues. This represents a 2.92% change in EPS on a -2.72% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $2 per share on $1.59 billion in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 14.01% and 6.45%, respectively.
Valuation Metrics
K12 may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company has run ahead of itself.
On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as these give investors a variety of ways to comb through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.
K12 has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are A and F, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.
In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 21X current fiscal year EPS estimates. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 8.8X versus its peer group's average of 8.1X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 1.05. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.
Zacks Rank
We also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, K12 currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.
Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if K12 meets the list of requirements. Thus, it seems as though K12 shares could have a bit more room to run in the near term.
How Does K12 Stack Up to the Competition?
Shares of K12 have been soaring, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? Some of its industry peers are also impressive, including Lincoln Educational Services (LINC - Free Report) , Vitru (VTRU - Free Report) , and Brunswick (BC - Free Report) , all of which currently have a Zacks Rank of at least #2 and a VGM Score of at least B, making them well-rounded choices.
The Zacks Industry Rank is in the top 36% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for K12, even beyond its own solid fundamental situation.
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K12 (LRN) Soars to 52-Week High, Time to Cash Out?
Have you been paying attention to shares of Stride (LRN - Free Report) ? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 10.5% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $37.6 in the previous session. Stride has gained 74.1% since the start of the year compared to the -7% move for the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the -65.9% return for the Zacks Schools industry.
What's Driving the Outperformance?
The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on August 10, 2021, K12 reported EPS of $0.25 versus consensus estimate of $0.17 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 2.2%.
For the current fiscal year, K12 is expected to post earnings of $1.76 per share on $1.5 billion in revenues. This represents a 2.92% change in EPS on a -2.72% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $2 per share on $1.59 billion in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 14.01% and 6.45%, respectively.
Valuation Metrics
K12 may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company has run ahead of itself.
On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as these give investors a variety of ways to comb through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.
K12 has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are A and F, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.
In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 21X current fiscal year EPS estimates. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 8.8X versus its peer group's average of 8.1X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 1.05. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.
Zacks Rank
We also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, K12 currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.
Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if K12 meets the list of requirements. Thus, it seems as though K12 shares could have a bit more room to run in the near term.
How Does K12 Stack Up to the Competition?
Shares of K12 have been soaring, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? Some of its industry peers are also impressive, including Lincoln Educational Services (LINC - Free Report) , Vitru (VTRU - Free Report) , and Brunswick (BC - Free Report) , all of which currently have a Zacks Rank of at least #2 and a VGM Score of at least B, making them well-rounded choices.
The Zacks Industry Rank is in the top 36% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for K12, even beyond its own solid fundamental situation.