Positioning no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
Options put/call open interest 5.78, read 2026-11-01
Ethical does not pass the values gate
Price26.88 USD
Fair value44.00Our model only; only one analyst covers it, too few to cross-check it.
Ethical score70.0/100
Value readUndervaluedas of 6 Nov 2026
Our investment reviews on this name
2026-11-04Read Distribution29.66-9.4% to today ✓Markdown gives way to Distribution
2026-11-01Read Markdown29.81-9.8% to today ✓Accumulation gives way to Markdown after a 9% slide in 7 days
2026-10-25Read Accumulation32.79-18.0% to today Markup gives way to Accumulation
2026-10-11Read Markup31.91-15.8% to today Markdown gives way to Markup
Our analytic regime reads on this name, dated and marked against the screened price. Small sample per name, and separate from the daily-framework accuracy on the Track Record page.
Perdoceo Education Corporation holds its Distribution at $26.88. The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 45 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-11-06
Phase
Distribution · caution
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the sellers, held for 45 days
Price at the screen
$26.88
Valuation
10.91 trailing · 9.09 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
0.75
The Workings
Five Screens, Shown in Full
Does not pass. Interest-bearing securities
Test
Figure
Limit
What it means
Status
Business activity
Permissible
Core business clean
Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines: no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.
Pass
Debt load
9.48%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is just 9.5% of its assets, well under the one-third ceiling: it does not run on borrowed money.
Pass
Interest-bearing cash
40.97%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing cash and securities are 41.0% of assets, above the one-third limit.
Fail
Receivables
11.07%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 11.1% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
3.11%
Below 5%
Only 3.1% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, under the 5% line.
Pass
Five checks adapted from AAOIFI screening standards: business activity plus four balance-sheet ratios. All five must pass for ethical clearance. Every figure is arithmetic on public accounts, not judgement.
The Ethical Read
Why It Falls Short, in Plain English
Perdoceo Education's business is fine, but its cash and interest-bearing securities are about 41% of its assets, well over the ~33% line, so it does not pass on the financial screens.
Read as at 2026-11-07. It updates when the underlying figures move, and past reads are kept below.
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What the Numbers Say It Is Worth
The Fair Value Range
Our model only; only one analyst covers it, too few to cross-check it.
Our analysis reads Undervalued vs our fair value, as of 6 Nov 2026: it trades at roughly a 40% discount to our $44.00 fair value, 1.80% revenue growth.
Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-11-06 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 38.9% discount to the base estimate.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Where our models see it going: fair-value estimate $44.00, with a range of $44.00 to $53.10, dated to the 2026-11-06 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The Business, in Plain Words
For Profit Colleges Still Print Steady Cash
Picture a working parent logging into an online degree after their shift. That flow of tuition dollars lands at Perdoceo, where three university brands turn modest enrolment into 20 percent profit margins and 17 percent returns on equity. The shares sit at 9.5 times forward earnings against a fair value 39 percent higher, and the ethical screen clears without issue.
Revenue edges up 4 percent a year, enough to keep cash flowing while the market prices the business like a fading name. One analyst points to the same $44 level we see, yet the rating stays flat. The low multiple reflects real caution rather than hidden value.
Regulatory pressure on for profit education never disappears and enrolment can stall in a weak jobs market. Peak margins at a single digit growth rate often mark the top of the cycle, not a bargain. Analysis, not advice.
Another profit measure, before interest, tax and non-cash costs: EBITDA.
The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
PRDO trades on Nasdaq. As a listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering its home market. New to this, or investing from abroad? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The Dated Journal · Newest First, Never Edited
Every Entry, As Written
2026-11-05Distribution$29.99+1.1%Entry 17
The analysis reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved up 1.1% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework has shifted from markdown to distribution since the last review. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.5% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-11-03Markdown$29.81+0.0%Entry 15
The analysis reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-11-02Markdown$29.81+0.0%Entry 14
The analysis reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-11-01Markdown · changed$29.81-12.1%Entry 13
The framework has shifted from accumulation to markdown since the last review. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 12.1% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-31Accumulation$33.90+0.0%Entry 12
The analysis reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-30Accumulation$33.90+0.0%Entry 11
The analysis reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
2026-10-29Accumulation$33.90+3.4%Entry 10
The analysis reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved up 3.4% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter. It reported earnings in this window, a natural checkpoint for the thesis.
The framework has shifted from markup to accumulation since the last review. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 2.3% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter.
2026-10-18Markup$33.55+5.1%Entry 8
The analysis reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved up 5.1% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it D, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 0% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are up 13%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 25%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $44. Insiders have been net sellers over the past quarter.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
