TAL Education Group (NYSE:TAL) Q2 2026 Earnings Call October 30, 2025 08:00 AM ET Speaker4Ladies and gentlemen, good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to TAL Education Group's Fiscal 2026 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in listen-only mode. After the speaker's presentation, there will be a question and answer session. Please be informed that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to Ms. Fang Liu, Investor Relati ...

Core Thesis - The bullish thesis on Coursera, Inc. emphasizes the company's strong financial stabilization, leadership changes, and focus on AI-driven learning products, indicating a positive outlook for growth and profitability [1][2][3]. Leadership Changes - CFO Ken Hahn will step down on October 29, transitioning to a 12-month advisory role, which follows a period of strong financial performance, including record free cash flow in H1'25 [2]. - The transition in CFO complements CEO Greg Hart's recent appointment, marking a broader leadership refresh as the company adapts its operating model for future growth [3]. Financial Performance - Coursera is experiencing stabilizing revenue growth near high single digits, gross margins above 55%, and positive operating cash flow, indicating a healthier business environment for the incoming CFO [4]. - The company has reaffirmed its Q3 and full-year 2025 guidance, reflecting confidence in its near-term momentum [3]. Strategic Focus - Key priorities for the new CFO include sustaining margin expansion, refining customer lifetime value models, managing content partner economics, and supporting AI-driven innovation without eroding free cash flow [4]. - The board has identified Kelly Steckelberg as a strategically aligned candidate for the CFO role, whose experience at Zoom and Canva positions her well to support the company's AI-driven learning ecosystem [5]. Market Position - Coursera's stock price has appreciated approximately 29.75% since previous bullish coverage, highlighting the company's high-margin platform, rapid user growth, and strong cash position [6].

Core Insights - Chegg, Inc. is facing challenges in the higher education sector due to enrollment volatility, increased competition from AI-driven platforms, and changing student preferences, leading to a significant decline in revenues [1][8] - The company is implementing cost-cutting measures to improve operational efficiency, resulting in a substantial reduction in operating expenses [2][8] - Chegg's focus on optimizing its subscription model and leveraging automation is aimed at enhancing margins, although concerns about user engagement and subscriber retention persist [3] Financial Performance - In the first half of 2025, Chegg's net revenues decreased by 32.9% year over year to $226.5 million, with Subscription Services revenues falling by 34% to $197.3 million [1][8] - Total operating expenses were reduced by 72% year over year to $202.5 million due to restructuring efforts, with expected adjusted savings of $165 million to $175 million for 2025 and an additional $100 million to $110 million in 2026 [2][8] Market Competition - Chegg operates in a competitive landscape with key players like Duolingo and Stride, which present overlapping challenges in the edtech ecosystem [4] - Duolingo leads in the language-learning niche with a strong mobile presence, while Stride focuses on K-12 online education, although its AI-enabled services have become less prominent [5][6] Stock Performance and Valuation - Chegg's stock has increased by 166.5% over the past six months, outperforming the Zacks Internet - Software industry and the S&P 500 Index [7] - The stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 0.38, indicating a discounted valuation compared to industry peers, which may present an attractive entry point for investors [9] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Chegg's loss in 2025 is projected at 11 cents per share, with breakeven earnings expected in 2026, showing a significant year-over-year downtrend for 2025 but a potential 100% growth for 2026 [10][11]

Key Takeaways Chegg is transforming Chegg Study into an AI-powered Personalized Learning Assistant.Udemy is scaling its subscription model and deepening partnerships with Indeed and UKG.CHGG trades at a discount with rising momentum, while UDMY faces FX headwinds and consumer weakness.The market's inclination toward digital learning, particularly AI-based alternatives, is favoring the edtech market and the firms operating within it, such as Chegg, Inc. (CHGG) and Udemy, Inc. (UDMY) . Additionally, the deman ...