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Stride (LRN)
NYSE:LRN
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Stride (LRN) AI Stock Analysis

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LRN

Stride

(NYSE:LRN)

Rating:72Outperform
Price Target:
$180.00
▲(9.48% Upside)
Stride's strong financial performance and positive earnings call sentiment are the most significant factors driving the score. The technical analysis suggests a bullish trend, but caution is warranted due to overbought indicators. Valuation concerns due to a high P/E ratio and lack of dividend yield slightly offset these strengths.
Positive Factors
Earnings
Stride, Inc. reported fiscal fourth quarter revenue that increased 22.4%, surpassing expectations.
Investment Rating
The analyst reiterates an OUTPERFORM investment rating and raises the 12-month price target to $185, indicating confidence in the stock's potential.
Stock Valuation
Stride, Inc.'s stock is trading at a discount compared to its Ed Tech peers, despite similar growth prospects, suggesting potential for price appreciation.
Negative Factors
Market Competition
Shares of LRN are up 20% since Stride reported the strong fiscal Q4 results and an encouraging outlook, although the valuation is still considered quite reasonable.
Market Valuation
The company's stock is trading at a significant discount compared to its peers despite its strong performance and growth prospects.

Stride (LRN) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Stride Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionStride, Inc., a technology-based education service company, provides proprietary and third-party online curriculum, software systems, and educational services to facilitate individualized learning for students primarily in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) in the United States and internationally. Its technology-based products and services enable clients to attract, enroll, educate, track progress, and support students. The company offers integrated package of systems, services, products, and professional expertise to support a virtual or blended public school; individual online courses and supplemental educational products; and products and services for the general education market focused on subjects, including math, English, science, and history for kindergarten through twelfth grade students. It also provides career learning products and services that are focused on developing skills to enter in industries, including information technology, health care, and business; and focused post-secondary career learning programs, which include skills training for software engineering, healthcare, and medical fields to adult learners under Galvanize, Tech Elevator, and MedCerts brand names, as well as provides staffing and talent development services to employers. Stride, Inc. serves public and private schools, school districts, charter boards, consumers, employers, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as K12 Inc. and changed its name to Stride, Inc. in December 2020. Stride, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.
How the Company Makes MoneyStride generates revenue through a combination of tuition fees from students enrolled in its online schools, sales of educational products and services to school districts, and software licensing fees for its learning management systems. The company also benefits from partnerships with local and state education agencies, allowing it to expand its reach and influence in the education sector. Additionally, Stride may receive funding from grants and educational initiatives aimed at improving online learning opportunities.

Stride Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 05, 2025
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Oct 28, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call highlights a strong financial performance with significant revenue and income growth, along with robust enrollment figures and positive market recognition. However, the company faces challenges with an impairment in the Galvanize business and hurdles in the Adult Learning segment. Contractual issues in New Mexico were addressed with new district agreements. The overall sentiment is mixed but leans towards positive due to the strong financial and enrollment metrics.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Revenue Growth
Full year revenue of $2.4 billion was up 18% from last year.
Significant Increase in Operating Income
Adjusted operating income of $466.2 million, up nearly 60% from last year.
Enrollment Growth
General Education enrollment totaled 137,700, up 13%. Career Learning and middle and high school revenues were $876.3 million, up 35% with enrollments totaling 96,300, up 33%.
Awards and Recognition
Stride was named one of America's best midsize companies by TIME, 2024 Company of the Year by BIG Awards for Business, and Best EdTech Company by the Global EdTech Awards.
Favorable Funding Environment
The funding environment for FY '26 looks positive with some states increasing funding, and no significant negative impact expected from federal funding changes.
Negative Updates
Galvanize Business Impairment
A one-time noncash impairment charge of $59.5 million related to the Galvanize business due to the continued IT software business decline and co-working business struggles.
Challenges in Adult Learning Segment
The Adult Learning segment faced demand challenges, particularly in the technology area, affecting performance.
Contractual Challenges in New Mexico
The Gallup-McKinley school district terminated their contract, affecting 4,000 students, although the company managed to secure new contracts with other districts.
Company Guidance
During Stride's fourth quarter fiscal year 2025 earnings call, the company provided robust guidance and insights into their performance. Stride reported a full-year revenue of $2.4 billion, reflecting an 18% increase from the previous year, with adjusted operating income up nearly 60% to $466.2 million. Enrollment growth was a key highlight, with Career Learning and middle and high school revenues increasing by 35%, coupled with a 33% rise in enrollments to 96,300. General Education revenue also grew by 12%, with enrollments up 13% to 137,700. Despite some state funding variations, the overall funding environment remains positive, and Stride anticipates a 10% to 15% enrollment growth in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026. Gross margins improved by 180 basis points to 39.2%, although the company expects a slower pace of margin expansion due to planned investments in products and services. Adjusted earnings per share for the year reached $8.10, up 48% from fiscal year 2024. With cash reserves exceeding $1 billion, Stride remains confident in sustaining its growth momentum into fiscal year 2026.

Stride Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Stride exhibits strong financial performance across all statements. The income statement shows robust growth and profitability, the balance sheet reflects a stable financial position with effective leverage management, and the cash flow statement highlights strong cash generation and management. The company is well-positioned for continued growth in the Education & Training Services industry.
Income Statement
85
Very Positive
Stride has demonstrated strong revenue growth with a 5.23% increase in TTM, supported by a solid gross profit margin of 39.08%. The net profit margin has also improved to 13.10%, indicating enhanced profitability. EBIT and EBITDA margins are healthy at 17.84% and 22.71%, respectively, showcasing efficient operational management. Overall, the income statement reflects robust growth and profitability.
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
The company's debt-to-equity ratio has improved to 0.40, indicating a stable leverage position. Return on equity is strong at 23.36%, reflecting effective use of equity to generate profits. The equity ratio stands at 64.50%, suggesting a solid capital structure. Overall, the balance sheet is stable with a good balance between debt and equity.
Cash Flow
82
Very Positive
Stride's free cash flow growth is impressive at 54.36%, indicating strong cash generation capabilities. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is 1.14, showing efficient cash conversion. The free cash flow to net income ratio of 1.04 further supports the company's ability to generate cash relative to its net income. Overall, the cash flow statement reflects strong cash management and growth.
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue2.41B2.41B2.04B1.84B1.69B1.54B
Gross Profit943.92M943.92M763.60M647.07M596.48M534.90M
EBITDA508.39M508.39M386.18M291.31M253.26M203.36M
Net Income287.94M287.94M204.18M126.87M107.13M71.45M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets2.29B2.29B1.92B1.76B1.64B1.58B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments985.27M985.27M692.29M410.81M389.40M386.08M
Total Debt549.76M549.76M528.21M543.81M565.67M466.28M
Total Liabilities814.34M814.34M744.44M813.37M830.96M772.65M
Stockholders Equity1.48B1.48B1.18B947.30M812.58M804.65M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow401.10M431.04M217.21M136.60M139.26M81.89M
Operating Cash Flow432.82M432.82M278.80M203.15M206.88M134.15M
Investing Cash Flow-88.00M-88.00M-139.87M-118.24M-110.76M-165.44M
Financing Cash Flow-62.94M-62.94M-49.12M-63.50M-93.31M204.58M

Stride Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price164.42
Price Trends
50DMA
145.65
Positive
100DMA
146.48
Positive
200DMA
133.44
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
5.17
Positive
RSI
57.01
Neutral
STOCH
22.21
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For LRN, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 164.42 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 161.74, above the 50-day MA of 145.65, and above the 200-day MA of 133.44, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 5.17 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 57.01 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 22.21 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for LRN.

Stride Risk Analysis

Stride disclosed 45 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Stride reported the most risks in the "Tech & Innovation" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Stride Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$5.74B24.7630.77%6.52%11.72%
77
Outperform
$4.10B16.4325.81%0.44%35.19%
73
Outperform
$7.90B21.6410.00%1.16%13.72%21.23%
72
Outperform
$4.83B21.7016.60%12.85%81.69%
72
Outperform
$7.01B26.7121.69%17.90%39.75%
67
Neutral
$6.17B59.682.88%48.08%97.15%
63
Neutral
$20.52B14.80-2.68%3.09%1.95%-4.76%
* Consumer Defensive Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
LRN
Stride
160.73
82.53
105.54%
ATGE
Adtalem Global Education
136.28
66.22
94.52%
LOPE
Grand Canyon Education
204.28
67.72
49.59%
EDU
New Oriental Education Tech
50.10
-10.76
-17.68%
TAL
TAL Education Group
10.14
2.48
32.38%
LAUR
Laureate Education
27.98
13.37
91.51%
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Aug 19, 2025