We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Is Stride Making a Long-Term Bet on Career-Driven High Schools?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
LRN's Career Learning revenues rose 23.7% to $697.1M, making up 39.8% of total revenues in fiscal 2025 YTD.
Middle-High School sub-segment revenues climbed 31.4%, with enrollment up 32% year over year.
Strategic focus and rising demand for career programs lifted Stride shares 38.9% year to date.
Stride, Inc.’s (LRN - Free Report) career-learning programs are in high demand amid the favorable market backdrop of parents favoring career-focused alternatives alongside mainstream K-12 learning programs. Besides, the company facilitating a diversified online education platform is further catalyzing the trends, as students and parents are now shifting from a traditional education approach to tech-based alternatives.
LRN is currently focusing on ways to expand its career learning and adult certification programs and seize feasible opportunities along the way. It offers career-focused programs to middle and high school students across highly demanded industries, including information technology, healthcare and general business. The interactive programs offered through this business allow Stride to enjoy a competitive advantage in the education industry.
Stride reports the proceedings from the career learning and adult certification programs under its Career Learning segment, which contributed 39.8% to its total revenues in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. During the same time frame, revenues from the Career Learning segment grew 23.7% year over year to $697.1 million, with the Middle-High School sub-segment growing 31.4%. Owing to the robust market fundamentals, the enrollment of this segment also witnessed a hike in the first nine months of fiscal 2025, growing 32% year over year, offering a favorable outlook into the long term.
With state budget processes ongoing, early indicators suggest a long-term positive funding environment. Moreover, LRN’s strategic investments to diversify its offerings, personalizing the learning model and improving user experience offer it a favorable pathway toward growth in the upcoming period.
Career-Focused Offerings Bode Well for Other Education Firms
Sharing space with LRN, other education companies, including Adtalem Global Education Inc. (ATGE - Free Report) and Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA - Free Report) , are benefiting from the current market fundamentals. With the increased demand for career professionals across business administration, accounting, information technology and healthcare industries, the demand for services offered by these market players is strong.
Adtalem is a healthcare education provider and workforce solutions innovator, with operations running through three segments, including Chamberlain, Walden and Medical and Veterinary. In the first nine months of fiscal 2025, Adtalem saw strong growth trends across Chamberlain and Walden universities, driven by pre-licensure and post-licensure nursing program growth, accompanied by robust demand for healthcare programs, driven by social and behavioral health and nursing, and non-healthcare programs.
Strategic Education offers a range of post-secondary education and other academic programs (in physical campuses and online) in business administration, accounting, information technology, education, health services administration, nursing and public administration. Strategic Education’s FlexPath, RightSkill and Workforce Edge programs offer innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of students and employers, with a strong focus on flexibility, career readiness and workforce alignment.
LRN Stock’s Price Performance & Valuation Trend
Shares of this Virginia-based education company have trended upward 38.9% in the year-to-date period, significantly outperforming the Zacks Schools industry, the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the S&P 500 index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LRN stock is currently trading at a premium compared with the industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 18.68X, as evidenced by the chart below. The overvaluation of the stock compared with its industry peers indicates its strong potential in the market, given the favorable trends backing it up.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
EPS Trend Favors LRN
Stride’s earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have trended upward in the past 60 days by 6.3% to $7.09 per share and 6.2% to $7.76 per share, respectively. The estimated figures for fiscal 2025 and 2026 imply year-over-year growth of 51.2% and 9.4%, respectively.
Image: Bigstock
Is Stride Making a Long-Term Bet on Career-Driven High Schools?
Key Takeaways
Stride, Inc.’s (LRN - Free Report) career-learning programs are in high demand amid the favorable market backdrop of parents favoring career-focused alternatives alongside mainstream K-12 learning programs. Besides, the company facilitating a diversified online education platform is further catalyzing the trends, as students and parents are now shifting from a traditional education approach to tech-based alternatives.
LRN is currently focusing on ways to expand its career learning and adult certification programs and seize feasible opportunities along the way. It offers career-focused programs to middle and high school students across highly demanded industries, including information technology, healthcare and general business. The interactive programs offered through this business allow Stride to enjoy a competitive advantage in the education industry.
Stride reports the proceedings from the career learning and adult certification programs under its Career Learning segment, which contributed 39.8% to its total revenues in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. During the same time frame, revenues from the Career Learning segment grew 23.7% year over year to $697.1 million, with the Middle-High School sub-segment growing 31.4%. Owing to the robust market fundamentals, the enrollment of this segment also witnessed a hike in the first nine months of fiscal 2025, growing 32% year over year, offering a favorable outlook into the long term.
With state budget processes ongoing, early indicators suggest a long-term positive funding environment. Moreover, LRN’s strategic investments to diversify its offerings, personalizing the learning model and improving user experience offer it a favorable pathway toward growth in the upcoming period.
Career-Focused Offerings Bode Well for Other Education Firms
Sharing space with LRN, other education companies, including Adtalem Global Education Inc. (ATGE - Free Report) and Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA - Free Report) , are benefiting from the current market fundamentals. With the increased demand for career professionals across business administration, accounting, information technology and healthcare industries, the demand for services offered by these market players is strong.
Adtalem is a healthcare education provider and workforce solutions innovator, with operations running through three segments, including Chamberlain, Walden and Medical and Veterinary. In the first nine months of fiscal 2025, Adtalem saw strong growth trends across Chamberlain and Walden universities, driven by pre-licensure and post-licensure nursing program growth, accompanied by robust demand for healthcare programs, driven by social and behavioral health and nursing, and non-healthcare programs.
Strategic Education offers a range of post-secondary education and other academic programs (in physical campuses and online) in business administration, accounting, information technology, education, health services administration, nursing and public administration. Strategic Education’s FlexPath, RightSkill and Workforce Edge programs offer innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of students and employers, with a strong focus on flexibility, career readiness and workforce alignment.
LRN Stock’s Price Performance & Valuation Trend
Shares of this Virginia-based education company have trended upward 38.9% in the year-to-date period, significantly outperforming the Zacks Schools industry, the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the S&P 500 index.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LRN stock is currently trading at a premium compared with the industry peers, with a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 18.68X, as evidenced by the chart below. The overvaluation of the stock compared with its industry peers indicates its strong potential in the market, given the favorable trends backing it up.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
EPS Trend Favors LRN
Stride’s earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have trended upward in the past 60 days by 6.3% to $7.09 per share and 6.2% to $7.76 per share, respectively. The estimated figures for fiscal 2025 and 2026 imply year-over-year growth of 51.2% and 9.4%, respectively.
Earnings Estimate Revision
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LRN stock currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.