Universal Technical Institute, Delta, Choice Hotels, Ruger, and Mister Car Wash Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Laureate Education and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 education services earnings season.

A whole industry has emerged to address the problem of rising education costs, offering consumers alternatives to traditional education paths such as four-year colleges. These alternative paths, which may include online courses or flexible schedules, make education more accessible to those with work or child-rearing obligations. However, some have run into issues around the value of the degrees and certifications they provide and whether customers are getting a good deal. Those who don’t prove their value could struggle to retain students, or even worse, invite the heavy hand of regulation.

The 7 education services stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 1.4% on average since the latest earnings results.

Laureate Education

Founded in 1998 by Douglas L. Becker and based in Miami, Laureate Education is a global network of higher education institutions.

Laureate Education reported revenues of $400.2 million, up 8.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with full-year revenue guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Eilif Serck-Hanssen, President and Chief Executive Officer, said “We are pleased to report another strong quarter, driven by favorable operating performance as well as a weaker U.S. dollar. We were especially encouraged by our continued ability to scale our fully online offerings in Peru through our industry-leading digital portfolio and to deliver continued growth in Mexico despite a softer macroeconomic environment. The results from the intake cycles, combined with favorable foreign currency trends, give us the confidence to increase our full-year outlook for 2025.”

Interestingly, the stock is up 15.3% since reporting and currently trades at $33.31.

Best Q3: Lincoln Educational

Established in 1946, Lincoln Educational is a provider of specialized technical training in the United States, offering career-oriented programs to provide practical skills required in the workforce.

Lincoln Educational reported revenues of $141.4 million, up 23.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Lincoln Educational pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 31.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $23.34.

Weakest Q3: Grand Canyon Education

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon Education reported revenues of $261.1 million, up 9.6% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Grand Canyon Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 7.2% since the results and currently trades at $165.39.

Read our full analysis of Grand Canyon Education’s results here.

Universal Technical Institute

Founded in 1965, Universal Technical Institute is a leading provider of technical training programs, specializing in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, and marine technicians.

Universal Technical Institute reported revenues of $222.4 million, up 13.3% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Universal Technical Institute delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 15.8% since reporting and currently trades at $24.84.

Read our full, actionable report on Universal Technical Institute here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Adtalem

Formerly known as DeVry Education Group, Adtalem Global Education is a global provider of workforce solutions and educational services.

Adtalem reported revenues of $462.3 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

Adtalem had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 26.4% since reporting and currently trades at $104.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Adtalem here, it’s free for active Edge members.

The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Mister Car Wash and the rest of the specialized consumer services stocks fared in Q3.

Some consumer discretionary companies don’t fall neatly into a category because their products or services are unique. Although their offerings may be niche, these companies have often found more efficient or technology-enabled ways of doing or selling something that has existed for a while. Technology can be a double-edged sword, though, as it may lower the barriers to entry for new competitors and allow them to do serve customers better.

The 11 specialized consumer services stocks we track reported a mixed Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 19.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 5.5% since the latest earnings results.

Mister Car Wash

Formerly known as Hotshine Holdings, Mister Car Wash (NYSE:MCW) offers car washes across the United States through its conveyorized service.

Mister Car Wash reported revenues of $263.4 million, up 5.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

“We delivered a solid third quarter performance, underscoring the strength of our strategy, the resilience of our business model, and the dedication of our team,” said John Lai, Chairperson and CEO of Mister Car Wash.

Interestingly, the stock is up 7.1% since reporting and currently trades at $5.57.

Best Q3: Matthews

Originally a death care company, Matthews International is a diversified company offering ceremonial services, brand solutions and industrial technologies.

Matthews reported revenues of $318.8 million, down 28.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 9.6%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Matthews pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 5.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $25.94.

Slowest Q3: 1-800-FLOWERS

Founded in 1976, 1-800-FLOWERS is an online retailer of flowers, gifts, and gourmet foods, serving customers globally.

1-800-FLOWERS reported revenues of $215.2 million, down 11.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 4.4% since the results and currently trades at $3.65.

Read our full analysis of 1-800-FLOWERS’s results here.

Frontdoor

Established in 2018 as a spin-off from ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Frontdoor is a provider of home warranty and service plans.

Frontdoor reported revenues of $618 million, up 14.4% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

Frontdoor scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 13.2% since reporting and currently trades at $57.09.

Read our full, actionable report on Frontdoor here, it’s free for active Edge members.

ADT

Founded in 1874 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, ADT is a provider of security, automation, and smart home solutions, offering comprehensive services for home and business protection.

ADT reported revenues of $1.30 billion, up 4.4% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a miss of analysts’ customers estimates.

ADT had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 8.6% since reporting and currently trades at $8.04.

Read our full, actionable report on ADT here, it’s free for active Edge members.

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at travel and vacation providers stocks, starting with Wyndham .

Airlines, hotels, resorts, and cruise line companies often sell experiences rather than tangible products, and in the last decade-plus, consumers have slowly shifted from buying "things" (wasteful) to buying "experiences" (memorable). In addition, the internet has introduced new ways of approaching leisure and lodging such as booking homes and longer-term accommodations. Traditional airlines, hotel, resorts, and cruise line companies must innovate to stay relevant in a market rife with innovation.

The 17 travel and vacation providers stocks we track reported a mixed Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.9% on average since the latest earnings results.

Wyndham

Established in 1981, Wyndham is a global hotel franchising company with over 9,000 hotels across nearly 95 countries on six continents.

Wyndham reported revenues of $382 million, down 3.5% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Wyndham delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 6% since reporting and currently trades at $75.55.

Read our full report on Wyndham here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Lindblad Expeditions

Founded by explorer Sven-Olof Lindblad in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions offers cruising experiences to remote destinations in partnership with National Geographic.

Lindblad Expeditions reported revenues of $240.2 million, up 16.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Lindblad Expeditions achieved the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 18.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $14.43.

Weakest Q3: Hilton Grand Vacations

Spun off from Hilton Worldwide in 2017, Hilton Grand Vacations is a global timeshare company that provides travel experiences for its customers through its timeshare resorts and club membership programs.

Hilton Grand Vacations reported revenues of $1.3 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Hilton Grand Vacations delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 1.4% since the results and currently trades at $44.77.

Read our full analysis of Hilton Grand Vacations’s results here.

Choice Hotels

With almost 100% of its properties under franchise agreements, Choice Hotels is a hotel franchisor known for its diverse brand portfolio including Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, and Clarion.

Choice Hotels reported revenues of $447.3 million, up 4.5% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 7.6%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 4.1% since reporting and currently trades at $95.27.

Read our full, actionable report on Choice Hotels here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Norwegian Cruise Line

With amenities like a full go-kart race track built into its ships, Norwegian Cruise Line is a premier global cruise company.

Norwegian Cruise Line reported revenues of $2.94 billion, up 4.7% year on year. This result missed analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. It was a slower quarter as it also produced a miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $22.31.

Read our full, actionable report on Norwegian Cruise Line here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Choice Hotels and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 travel and vacation providers earnings season.

Airlines, hotels, resorts, and cruise line companies often sell experiences rather than tangible products, and in the last decade-plus, consumers have slowly shifted from buying "things" (wasteful) to buying "experiences" (memorable). In addition, the internet has introduced new ways of approaching leisure and lodging such as booking homes and longer-term accommodations. Traditional airlines, hotel, resorts, and cruise line companies must innovate to stay relevant in a market rife with innovation.

The 17 travel and vacation providers stocks we track reported a mixed Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.1% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.9% on average since the latest earnings results.

Choice Hotels

With almost 100% of its properties under franchise agreements, Choice Hotels is a hotel franchisor known for its diverse brand portfolio including Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, and Clarion.

Choice Hotels reported revenues of $447.3 million, up 4.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 7.6%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

"Choice Hotels International delivered another quarter of record profitability, underscoring the strength of our portfolio's continued shift toward higher-value brand segments and multiple growth avenues beyond U.S. RevPAR," said Patrick Pacious, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Interestingly, the stock is up 5.2% since reporting and currently trades at $96.29.

Best Q3: Lindblad Expeditions

Founded by explorer Sven-Olof Lindblad in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions offers cruising experiences to remote destinations in partnership with National Geographic.

Lindblad Expeditions reported revenues of $240.2 million, up 16.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.6%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Lindblad Expeditions pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 18.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $14.43.

Weakest Q3: Hilton Grand Vacations

Spun off from Hilton Worldwide in 2017, Hilton Grand Vacations is a global timeshare company that provides travel experiences for its customers through its timeshare resorts and club membership programs.

Hilton Grand Vacations reported revenues of $1.3 billion, flat year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Hilton Grand Vacations delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 2.4% since the results and currently trades at $45.24.

Read our full analysis of Hilton Grand Vacations’s results here.

Marriott Vacations

Spun off from Marriott International in 1984, Marriott Vacations is a vacation company providing leisure experiences for travelers around the world.

Marriott Vacations reported revenues of $1.26 billion, down 3.2% year on year. This number missed analysts’ expectations by 4.5%. Overall, it was a softer quarter as it also logged a miss of analysts’ conducted tours estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 13.3% since reporting and currently trades at $58.32.

Read our full, actionable report on Marriott Vacations here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Hilton

Founded in 1919, Hilton Worldwide is a global hospitality company with a portfolio of hotel brands.

Hilton reported revenues of $3.12 billion, up 8.8% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but EBITDA guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 9.4% since reporting and currently trades at $290.84.

Read our full, actionable report on Hilton here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Wrapping up Q3 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the leisure products stocks, including American Outdoor Brands and its peers.

Leisure products cover a wide range of goods in the consumer discretionary sector. Maintaining a strong brand is key to success, and those who differentiate themselves will enjoy customer loyalty and pricing power while those who don’t may find themselves in precarious positions due to the non-essential nature of their offerings.

The 12 leisure products stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: American Outdoor Brands

Spun off from Smith and Wesson in 2020, American Outdoor Brands is an outdoor and recreational products company that offers outdoor and shooting sports products but does not sell firearms themselves.

American Outdoor Brands reported revenues of $57.2 million, down 5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 12.3%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Brian Murphy, President and CEO, said, "Our commitment to innovation, paired with disciplined execution of our long-term strategy to enter new outdoor categories, is fueling the strength of our growth brands and the engagement we are seeing from consumers and retail partners. Pull-through of our products at retail was notably strong during the quarter, with total POS up 4% year-over-year. Together, these factors enabled us to deliver second-quarter results that surpassed our expectations, even amid a dynamic retail backdrop.

American Outdoor Brands scored the biggest analyst estimates beat but had the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 7.4% since reporting and currently trades at $8.30.

Harley-Davidson

Founded in 1903, Harley-Davidson is an American motorcycle manufacturer known for its heavyweight motorcycles designed for cruising on highways.

Harley-Davidson reported revenues of $1.34 billion, up 16.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Harley-Davidson delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 22.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $20.96.

Weakest Q3: Ruger

Founded in 1949, Ruger is an American manufacturer of firearms for the commercial sporting market.

Ruger reported revenues of $126.8 million, up 3.7% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. Still, it was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 29.1% since the results and currently trades at $31.18.

Read our full analysis of Ruger’s results here.

MasterCraft

Started by a waterskiing instructor, MasterCraft specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling sport boats.

MasterCraft reported revenues of $69 million, up 5.6% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 3%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

MasterCraft delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 7.6% since reporting and currently trades at $19.82.

Read our full, actionable report on MasterCraft here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Malibu Boats

Founded in California in 1982, Malibu Boats is a manufacturer of high-performance sports boats and luxury watercrafts.

Malibu Boats reported revenues of $194.7 million, up 13.5% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 4.3%. It was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is down 10.4% since reporting and currently trades at $29.19.

Read our full, actionable report on Malibu Boats here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Grand Canyon Education and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 education services earnings season.

A whole industry has emerged to address the problem of rising education costs, offering consumers alternatives to traditional education paths such as four-year colleges. These alternative paths, which may include online courses or flexible schedules, make education more accessible to those with work or child-rearing obligations. However, some have run into issues around the value of the degrees and certifications they provide and whether customers are getting a good deal. Those who don’t prove their value could struggle to retain students, or even worse, invite the heavy hand of regulation.

The 7 education services stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q3: Grand Canyon Education

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon Education reported revenues of $261.1 million, up 9.6% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Grand Canyon Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 5.7% since reporting and currently trades at $168.07.

Read our full report on Grand Canyon Education here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Lincoln Educational

Established in 1946, Lincoln Educational is a provider of specialized technical training in the United States, offering career-oriented programs to provide practical skills required in the workforce.

Lincoln Educational reported revenues of $141.4 million, up 23.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Lincoln Educational pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 36.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $24.28.

Adtalem

Formerly known as DeVry Education Group, Adtalem Global Education is a global provider of workforce solutions and educational services.

Adtalem reported revenues of $462.3 million, up 10.8% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 2%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

Adtalem delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. As expected, the stock is down 27.5% since the results and currently trades at $102.77.

Read our full analysis of Adtalem’s results here.

Universal Technical Institute

Founded in 1965, Universal Technical Institute is a leading provider of technical training programs, specializing in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, and marine technicians.

Universal Technical Institute reported revenues of $222.4 million, up 13.3% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Universal Technical Institute scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 8.5% since reporting and currently trades at $26.99.

Read our full, actionable report on Universal Technical Institute here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Bright Horizons

Founded in 1986, Bright Horizons is a global provider of child care, early education, and workforce support solutions.

Bright Horizons reported revenues of $802.8 million, up 11.6% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 10.3% since reporting and currently trades at $101.81.

Read our full, actionable report on Bright Horizons here, it’s free for active Edge members.