Core Insights - Investors are comparing Adtalem Global Education (ATGE) and Universal Technical Institute (UTI) to determine which stock is more attractive for value investing [1] Valuation Metrics - ATGE has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating stronger earnings estimate revision trends compared to UTI, which has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3] - ATGE's forward P/E ratio is 15.30, significantly lower than UTI's forward P/E of 30.47, suggesting ATGE may be undervalued [5] - ATGE's PEG ratio is 1.02, while UTI's PEG ratio is 2.03, indicating ATGE has a more favorable growth outlook relative to its valuation [5] - ATGE's P/B ratio is 2.97, compared to UTI's P/B of 5.96, further supporting ATGE's valuation attractiveness [6] - ATGE has a Value grade of B, while UTI has a Value grade of C, reinforcing the perception that ATGE is the better option for value investors [6]

Group 1 - Boyd Gaming (BYD) is a notable stock in the Consumer Discretionary sector, which consists of 255 individual stocks and holds a Zacks Sector Rank of 9 [2] - Boyd Gaming currently has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong potential for outperforming the market in the near term [3] - Year-to-date, Boyd Gaming has gained approximately 17%, outperforming the average gain of 7.3% in the Consumer Discretionary group [4] Group 2 - Boyd Gaming is part of the Gaming industry, which includes 39 companies and is currently ranked 92 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - The Gaming industry has seen an average gain of about 22.8% year-to-date, indicating that Boyd Gaming is slightly underperforming its industry peers [6] - Another stock in the Consumer Discretionary sector, Adtalem Global Education (ATGE), has outperformed with a year-to-date increase of 25.8% and holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5][7]

Company Performance - Perdoceo Education reported quarterly earnings of $0.67 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.65 per share, and up from $0.60 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of +3.08% [1] - The company posted revenues of $209.58 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.29%, and an increase from year-ago revenues of $166.74 million [2] - Over the last four quarters, Perdoceo Education has consistently surpassed consensus EPS estimates and revenue estimates [2] Stock Performance - Perdoceo Education shares have gained approximately 8.2% since the beginning of the year, matching the S&P 500's gain of 8.2% [3] - The current Zacks Rank for Perdoceo Education is 3 (Hold), indicating that the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.62 on revenues of $206.34 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $2.49 on revenues of $832.34 million [7] - The outlook for the industry, particularly the Schools sector, is favorable, as it ranks in the top 13% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting potential for outperformance [8]

Company Performance - Strategic Education (STRA) reported quarterly earnings of $1.52 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.42 per share, and up from $1.33 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of +7.04% [1] - The company posted revenues of $321.47 million for the quarter ended June 2025, which was slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.59%, but an increase from $312.27 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Strategic Education has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times and topped consensus revenue estimates two times [2] Stock Performance and Outlook - Strategic Education shares have declined approximately 15% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 8.3% [3] - The company's earnings outlook is crucial for investors, as it includes current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters and any recent changes to those expectations [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.33 on revenues of $317.66 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $5.69 on revenues of $1.27 billion [7] Industry Context - The Schools industry, to which Strategic Education belongs, is currently ranked in the top 13% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [8] - Empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, which can be tracked by investors or through tools like the Zacks Rank [5][6]

Group 1 - Betterware de Mexico SAPI de C (BWMX) is currently outperforming its Consumer Discretionary peers with a year-to-date return of 10.4%, compared to the sector average of 9.7% [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BWMX's full-year earnings has increased by 21.4% over the past 90 days, indicating a stronger analyst sentiment and improving earnings outlook [4] - BWMX holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), suggesting it has the characteristics to outperform the market in the near term [3] Group 2 - Betterware de Mexico SAPI de C is part of the Consumer Products - Discretionary industry, which is currently ranked 80 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with stocks in this group having lost about 9.6% year-to-date [6] - In contrast, Laureate Education (LAUR), another stock in the Consumer Discretionary sector, has a year-to-date return of 25.9% and also holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [5] - The Schools industry, to which Laureate Education belongs, is currently ranked 31 and has seen a slight increase of 0.5% year-to-date [6]

Core Viewpoint - Stride, Inc. is facing challenges due to the termination of a key partnership with Gallup-McKinley County Schools, which is expected to impact its market value and revenue visibility, despite experiencing significant enrollment growth in its K-12 and career learning segments [3][7][15]. Company Performance - Stride's share price has decreased by 9.4% over the past month, underperforming compared to the Zacks Schools industry and the broader market [1]. - The company has reported a 20% overall enrollment growth in fiscal 2025, with General Education and Career Learning segments growing by 12.8% and 32%, respectively [15]. Partnership and Regulatory Challenges - The termination of the partnership with GMCS, effective June 30, 2025, was due to Stride's failure to meet legal and academic requirements, which poses risks to its growth and profitability [6][7]. - Stride's business model heavily relies on contracts with educational institutions, making it vulnerable to compliance issues that could lead to contract terminations [6]. Market and Economic Conditions - Stride is experiencing macroeconomic pressures, including inflation and tariff concerns, which could indirectly affect its top-line growth through strained government budgets [9]. - The company is facing increased operational costs, with instructional costs and SG&A expenses rising by 12.5% and 0.6% year-over-year, respectively [9]. Financial Position - Stride maintains a strong liquidity position with cash and cash equivalents of $528.5 million, up from $500.6 million at the end of fiscal 2024, while long-term debt has slightly increased to $415.9 million [18]. - The stock is trading at a forward P/E ratio of 16.98, indicating a premium compared to industry peers, which reflects its growth potential [10]. Growth Prospects - The shift in demand towards tech-based and career-focused educational programs is expected to enhance Stride's revenue visibility and profitability in the long term [5][21]. - The company is strategically expanding its online education offerings, which aligns with the growing trend of digital learning [12][16].

Core Viewpoint - Vasta Platform Limited (VSTA) is currently viewed as a more attractive option for value investors compared to Universal Technical Institute (UTI) based on various valuation metrics and earnings outlook [1][3][7] Valuation Metrics - VSTA has a forward P/E ratio of 13.74, significantly lower than UTI's forward P/E of 30.19, indicating that VSTA may be undervalued [5] - The PEG ratio for VSTA is 0.28, while UTI's PEG ratio is 2.01, suggesting that VSTA offers better value relative to its expected earnings growth [5] - VSTA's P/B ratio stands at 0.39, compared to UTI's P/B of 5.91, further highlighting VSTA's relative undervaluation [6] Earnings Outlook - VSTA is experiencing an improving earnings outlook, which is a positive indicator in the Zacks Rank model, suggesting that its earnings estimates are likely to rise [3][7] - UTI, on the other hand, holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), indicating a less favorable earnings outlook compared to VSTA's 2 (Buy) rank [3]

Core Insights - Stride, Inc. (LRN) has experienced a 20% year-over-year growth in enrollment, reaching approximately 233,500 students during the first nine months of fiscal 2025, driven by positive market sentiment for online education and diversified program offerings [1][8] - The company is strategically focusing on enhancing brand visibility through innovative marketing strategies while managing to reduce selling, general, and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues [2][4][3] Enrollment and Market Trends - Enrollment trends have continued to rise despite limitations on marketing spend, indicating strong demand for Stride's diverse offerings, which include K-12 and career-learning programs [2][8] - The favorable market backdrop and ongoing regulatory reforms in the U.S. education sector suggest a bright outlook for Stride's enrollment prospects [4] Financial Performance - Stride's selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased by 360 basis points year-over-year to 22.9% of total revenues, reflecting improved operational efficiency [4][8] - The stock has shown a price increase of 31.1% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Schools industry and the broader market [5][8] Competitive Positioning - Stride's stock is currently trading at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 2.29, which is considered a discount compared to peers like Chegg (0.36) and Grand Canyon Education (4.44) [10][11] - Earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 remain unchanged at $7.09 and $7.76 per share, respectively, indicating expected year-over-year growth of 51.2% and 9.4% [12]

Core Insights - Stride, Inc.'s (LRN) career learning portfolio is well-positioned for growth due to increasing demand for non-college degrees and online education options [1][2] - The company's focus on career learning and adult certification programs is yielding positive results, with significant enrollment and revenue growth [2][8] Enrollment and Revenue Growth - Stride's Career Learning segment experienced a 33.7% year-over-year enrollment growth in Q3 of fiscal 2025, with revenues increasing by 26.4% to $242.6 million [2][8] - For the first nine months of fiscal 2025, enrollment in the Career Learning segment grew by 32% year over year [2] Market Demand and Competitive Advantage - Stride offers career-focused programs in high-demand industries such as information technology, healthcare, and general business, providing a competitive edge in the education sector [3] - The shift in demand towards career-focused and tech-based alternatives is driving the company's strategic expansion [2] Funding Environment and Strategic Investments - Early indicators suggest a long-term positive funding environment due to ongoing state budget processes [4] - Stride's investments in diversifying offerings and personalizing the learning model are expected to support long-term growth [4] Stock Performance and Valuation - Stride's shares have increased by 36.2% year-to-date, outperforming peers in the education sector [5][8] - The stock is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 19.95X, indicating strong market potential despite being at a premium compared to industry peers [10] Earnings Estimates - Earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 remain unchanged at $7.09 and $7.76 per share, respectively, implying year-over-year growth of 51.2% and 9.4% [12]

Group 1 - Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC) is part of the Consumer Discretionary group, which consists of 256 companies and currently ranks 10 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - LINC has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook, with the consensus estimate for its full-year earnings increasing by 5.9% over the past quarter [3] - Year-to-date, LINC has achieved a return of approximately 45.7%, significantly outperforming the average gain of 11.7% for the Consumer Discretionary sector [4] Group 2 - LINC belongs to the Schools industry, which includes 18 stocks and is currently ranked 11 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with an average gain of 9.2% this year [5] - In comparison, another stock in the Consumer Discretionary sector, Carnival (CCL), has a year-to-date return of 12.8% and is part of the Leisure and Recreation Services industry, which is ranked 79 and has gained 4.4% year to date [4][6]