Goldman Sachs cuts Coursera stock price target to $7.00, keeps sell rating

Published 31/01/2025, 12:00
Goldman Sachs cuts Coursera stock price target to $7.00, keeps sell rating

On Friday, Goldman Sachs analyst Eric Sheridan updated his assessment of Coursera Inc (NYSE: NYSE:COUR), reducing the price target to $7.00 from the previous $7.25 while maintaining a Sell rating on the company’s shares. The adjustment follows Coursera’s fourth-quarter earnings report for 2024, which presented several key points from the management’s perspective. According to InvestingPro data, Coursera currently shows signs of undervaluation despite its market capitalization of $1.34 billion. InvestingPro subscribers can access comprehensive analysis including 7 additional key insights about COUR’s financial position.

Coursera’s Q4 revenue for 2024 slightly exceeded the high end of its previous guidance, driven by strong performance across its three revenue segments, building on the company’s impressive 12.36% revenue growth over the last twelve months. Notably, the consumer segment surpassed expectations. Additionally, the results showed continued positive trends in gross profit margin, which stands at 53.38%, and adjusted EBITDA (Adj EBITDA), with the Adj EBITDA margin exceeding both Goldman Sachs and consensus estimates as well as the company’s prior guidance. This performance underscores Coursera’s strategic focus on narrowing investments and accelerating its path to profitability. InvestingPro’s analysis indicates strong financial health with a current ratio of 2.61, suggesting robust liquidity management.

However, the forward guidance for revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2025 and the full year fell below expectations. This is attributed to a shift in investment focus towards more productive near-term opportunities, such as Coursera for Coach (NYSE:TPR), and a move away from the degrees segment, which is anticipated to decline year-over-year in Q1 2025 and FY25.

Amidst a management transition, Coursera has provided directional and qualitative guidance, with a promise to disclose more detailed plans for FY25 in the coming months. Sheridan’s report reflects these updates, leading to the reiterated Sell rating and the lowered 12-month price target for Coursera’s stock.

In other recent news, Coursera Inc. reported strong Q4 earnings and revenue, surpassing analyst expectations. The company’s Q4 adjusted earnings per share stood at $0.08, exceeding the analyst consensus of $0.04, while revenue increased by 6% year-over-year to $179.2 million, outperforming the anticipated $176.49 million. However, Coursera’s Q1 2025 revenue forecast of $173-177 million fell short of Wall Street’s consensus of $178.4 million.

Coursera also reported its full-year 2024 revenue at $694.7 million, a 9% growth from the previous year, and celebrated its first full year of positive adjusted EBITDA at $41.5 million. The company added 6 million new registered learners in Q4, taking the total to 168 million.

In the midst of these developments, Raymond (NSE:RYMD) James maintained a Market Perform rating on Coursera, despite the company’s revised growth outlook for 2025. Analyst Brian Peterson highlighted the strong performance of the Degrees segment, which contributed approximately $2 million to the top-line beat.

Lastly, the company announced a leadership transition, with Greg Hart set to take over as President and CEO, succeeding current CEO Jeff Maggioncalda. This change is expected to influence the company’s future direction and growth strategy.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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