By Christiana Sciaudone
Investing.com -- Coursera got a nice boost from analysts who initiated the online class provider at a buy rating.
Shares are up 3% after most firms rated it highly. Coursera went public at the end of last month, and shares have dropped some 15% since hitting a high in early April.
Coursera provides online learning and aims to give universal access to top quality education. It has about 77 million registered learners and offers a variety of courses and certificates at various price points.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and Needham both see long-term growth of 25%, with the former saying it's not reflected in the price action, StreetInsider reported.
Similarly, Needham & Company analyst Ryan MacDonald
“Given the increasing role of automation, the widening skills gap, and the shift to online learning, we believe Coursera's comprehensive platform will help it gain share in a large TAM that we size between $47B-$50.6B," said Needham's Ryan MacDonald, according to StreetInsider. "While the COVID-driven tailwind to registered learner growth in FY20 creates a difficult consumer segment comp in FY21, we believe Coursera's efficient GTM motion and shift towards higher value enterprise and degrees offerings can drive durable 25%+ growth and gross margin expansion."
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Raymond James were less enthusiastic, initiating the stock at a neutral-equivalent rating.
Raymond James's Brian Peterson cited the company's valuation for its rating, though it is also encouraged by long-term prospects with monetization just getting started.