Stock fact sheet · data as of
Perdoceo Education Corporation (PRDO): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol PRDO · Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services · United States · Blend
Is PRDO undervalued?
Perdoceo Education Corporation (PRDO) closed at 29.99 on 5 Nov 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 9 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 48.76, which puts the price 38% below it. 7 of the 9 models value the shares above the current price. A gap this wide is rare in our universe of ~7,400 US stocks and is exactly what the Value part of the Wheel Score rewards; it is also where the question "why is it this cheap?" matters most.
There is a wide gap between DDM (9.12) and Payback Time (100.81). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
Ranked against every other company we cover, neither cheapness nor growth clearly wins for PRDO, so the nightly engine files it under Blend (value score 61, growth score 69, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for PRDO
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 | 42.49 | +42% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 32.38 | +8% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 55.47 | +85% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 16.36 | -45% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 62.84 | +110% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 87.93 | +193% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 100.81 | +236% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 9.12 | -70% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 31.41 | +5% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | 6.35 | -79% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 44.00 | +47% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Perdoceo Education Corporation scores 8 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score, the nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency on the latest annual accounts - a strong reading that passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter with room to spare. On durability PRDO scores 6.9/10 on the GLS Moat - a middle reading; the Moat Score tab on the Quote page's Financials view shows which of the four parts hold it back.
Returns on capital are high - ROIC 14.8%, ROE 16.4%, ROA 12.6% - with debt at 0.11 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 11.6%.
The dividend yield is 2.07% at a payout ratio of 22%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold. Revenue comes mainly from C T U 54%, A I U S 27%, University of St. Augustine for Health… 19% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 8 / 9 | ROIC | 14.8% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.9 / 10 | ROE | 16.4% |
| Debt / equity | 0.11 | ROA | 12.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 11.6% | Payout ratio | 22% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 53: Fair
A Wheel Score of 53 keeps Perdoceo Education Corporation under 70, the mark only a stock that passes all 9 Wheel Trade Filters can reach: it fails filter 1, options that actually trade - options too quiet (984 open interest, 211 a day). The parts: value strong, premium strong, moat good, health strong, red flags strong, option trading weak, stability fair.
Implied volatility is 41% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 984 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 523k shares a day on a market cap of $1.9B, with a beta of 0.75 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | options too quiet (984 open interest, 211 a day) |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 38% below fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 41% | |
| Moat | Good | moat 6.9/10 | |
| Health | Strong | Piotroski 8/9 | |
| Red Flags | Strong | Red Flags score 92/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 211 contracts a day, 984 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.75, $1.9B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Perdoceo Education Corporation reports earnings on 5 Nov 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 Perdoceo Education Corporation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRA Strategic Education, Inc. | 74.32 | 182.52 | +59% | 49Weak | $1.7B |
| MH McGraw Hill, Inc. | 12.76 | 28.27 | +55% | 46Weak | $2.4B |
| DAO Youdao, Inc. | 20.69 | 13.26 | -56% | 26Weak | $2.5B |
| UTI Universal Technical Institute, Inc. | 22.33 | 18.50 | -21% | 32Weak | $1.2B |
| LRN Stride, Inc. | 79.24 | 258.10 | +69% | 80Good | $3.3B |
| COUR Coursera, Inc. | 3.90 | 8.81 | +56% | 42Weak | $1.0B |
| AFYA Afya Limited | 10.50 | 35.73 | +71% | 39Weak | $960M |
| LOPE Grand Canyon Education, Inc. | 150.67 | 184.53 | +18% | 48Weak | $3.9B |
| CVSA Covista Inc. | 124.19 | 234.64 | +47% | 83Good | $4.1B |
| GOTU Gaotu Techedu Inc. | 2.35 | 2.57 | +9% | 23Weak | $829M |
| PXED Phoenix Education Partners, Inc | 21.66 | 48.20 | +55% | 34No options | $781M |
| APEI American Public Education, Inc. | 42.41 | 74.70 | +43% | 47Weak | $776M |
⚖ Compare PRDO with 7 of them All Consumer Defensive stocks →
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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 top 10 stocks that pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters, 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 PRDO
Is PRDO undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 29.99 the stock is 38% below the average fair value of 48.76 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of PRDO and what does it mean?
PRDO scores 53 out of 100 (Fair) - it fails Wheel Trade Filter 1. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for PRDO?
48.76 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 9 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 Perdoceo Education Corporation report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 5 Nov 2026 (after the close), 0 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does PRDO have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 36 listed contracts with 984 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 41% 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.