Stock fact sheet · data as of
Coursera, Inc. (COUR): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services · United States · Speculative / Distressed
Is COUR undervalued?
At 5.09 (close of 16 Oct 2026), COUR trades 48% below the GLS average fair value of 9.88. That average comes from 2 models run on the latest filings, and 1 of them land above the current price. Margins of safety over 30% are the exception rather than the rule across the ~7,400 stocks we value each night, so the number earns Coursera, Inc. the full Value points in the Wheel Score - and a closer look at what the market is pricing in.
The average is built from just 2 models (DCF, 10 Cap) - the rest returned nothing because an input they need (dividends, free cash flow, book value) is zero or negative - so treat it with more caution than usual.
The nightly engine files COUR under Speculative / Distressed - negative earnings or a Piotroski score of 3 or less - which caps its Wheel Score at 45 and keeps it out of the Sunday Scan.
Nine valuation models for COUR
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 16.35 | +221% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | - | - | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share; no value tonight |
| Graham Growth | - | - | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields; no value tonight |
| Lynch | - | - | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25%; no value tonight |
| GLS Growth | - | - | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year; no value tonight |
| 10 Cap | 3.40 | -33% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | - | - | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth; no value tonight |
| Zombie (liquidation) | 2.02 | -60% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 7.40 | +45% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Coursera, Inc. scores only 3 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, which fails the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. A reading this low means several of the basic tests - positive earnings, positive operating cash flow, falling debt, no new share issuance - are not met. A GLS Moat score of 4.3/10 is a weak reading: the ten-year history the score grades (revenue, EPS, book value, margins, cash flow, share count, ROIC) has not been steady, so the Moat part of the Wheel Score contributes little.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC -8.0%, ROE -8.0%, ROA -5.1% - with debt at 0.01 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 2.1%.
Coursera, Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Consumer 53%, Enterprise 47% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 6/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales; the last recorded insider buy was on 29 Sep 2026.
| Piotroski F-score | 3 / 9 | ROIC | -8.0% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 4.3 / 10 | ROE | -8.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.01 | ROA | -5.1% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 2.1% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 6 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 45: Weak
With a Wheel Score of 45 Coursera, Inc. sits in the Weak band, capped at 45 because the engine files it as Speculative / Distressed. The parts - Value 25/25, Health 7/20, Moat 6/15, Premium 15/20, Stability 16/20 - show where: Health (7/20) scores lowest.
Implied volatility is 82% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - above the 60% ceiling of the sweet spot. Premiums are large, but the Wheel Score tapers the Premium points (15 of 20) because volatility this high usually comes with a reason. The option chain is deep: 79,995 contracts of open interest across all expiries, which means tight fills at most strikes.
Volume runs at 5.3M shares a day on a market cap of $1.3B, with a beta of 1.25 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 16 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 25 / 25 | 48% margin of safety | |
| Health | 7 / 20 | Piotroski 3/9 | |
| Moat | 6 / 15 | moat 4.3/10 | |
| Premium | 15 / 20 | implied volatility 82% | |
| Stability | 16 / 20 | 5.3M shares/day, $1.3B cap, beta 1.25 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Coursera, Inc. reports earnings on 22 Oct 2026 (after the close) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Education & Training Services
The 12 companies below are the closest to Coursera, Inc. by market cap within the Education & Training Services industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFYA Afya Limited | 14.52 | 85.46 | +83% | 66Good | $1.3B |
| UTI Universal Technical Institute, Inc. | 20.31 | 18.31 | -11% | 66Good | $1.1B |
| STRA Strategic Education, Inc. | 80.97 | 180.97 | +55% | 83Prime | $1.8B |
| GOTU Gaotu Techedu Inc. | 2.67 | 16.70 | +84% | 45Weak | $962M |
| APEI American Public Education, Inc. | 49.13 | 74.71 | +34% | 78Good | $899M |
| PRDO Perdoceo Education Corporation | 33.55 | 48.56 | +31% | 87Prime | $2.1B |
| PXED Phoenix Education Partners, Inc | 23.79 | 56.60 | +58% | 39No options | $858M |
| DAO Youdao, Inc. | 18.51 | 12.84 | -44% | 39Weak | $2.2B |
| LINC Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | 22.56 | 26.74 | +16% | 69Good | $716M |
| MH McGraw Hill, Inc. | 14.20 | 26.91 | +47% | 76Good | $2.7B |
| LRN Stride, Inc. | 83.18 | 245.69 | +66% | 85Prime | $3.5B |
| DFPH DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Cor | 2.01 | - | - | 20No options | $436M |
⚖ Compare COUR with 7 of them All Consumer Defensive stocks →
Screen the whole market the same way
A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about COUR
Is COUR undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 5.09 the stock is 48% below the average fair value of 9.88 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of COUR and what does it mean?
COUR scores 45 out of 100 (Weak). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for COUR?
9.88 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 2 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Coursera, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 22 Oct 2026 (after the close), 6 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does COUR have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 166 listed contracts with 79,995 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 82% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.