What Happened?

Shares of higher education company Strategic Education (NASDAQ: STRA) jumped 8.7% in the afternoon session after a bullish consensus from Wall Street analysts became more widely known. 

The positive outlook was based on reports from multiple analysts. One summary highlighted a "Buy" consensus from two analysts who covered the stock, with an average price target that suggested a 22.80% increase. Another analysis, which compiled ratings from seven Wall Street analysts, also pointed to a bullish view with a median price target implying a potential 33.6% upside from its trading price at the time. This collective sentiment was supported by three "Buy" ratings and no "Hold" or "Sell" ratings within that group.

Is now the time to buy Strategic Education? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

Strategic Education’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 4 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 28 days ago when the stock dropped 4.2% on the news that new economic data intensified market agitation ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the week. 

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real consumer spending, which is adjusted for inflation, stalled in September, marking its weakest performance in four months. Compounding the issue, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, while slightly improved, remained gloomy, with one economist noting that many households faced affordability issues forcing them to be more cautious. This pressure on consumers was reflected in the market, where the Consumer Discretionary sector was among the leading decliners. The broader economic picture showed other signs of caution, as new orders for U.S. factory goods also increased less than anticipated. These indicators collectively suggest a widening slowdown across both consumer and industrial sectors as the Federal Reserve prepared to announce its final policy actions for the year.

Strategic Education is up 7.8% since the beginning of the year, but at $84.73 per share, it is still trading 18.1% below its 52-week high of $103.46 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Strategic Education’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $893.68.

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