Analyst Ratings February 6, 2026

Telsey Sticks with Outperform on Coursera After Solid Q4; Analysts Split on Margins

Stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results and upbeat 2026 guidance underpin the rating, even as some firms flag profitability pressures

By Nina Shah COUR
Telsey Sticks with Outperform on Coursera After Solid Q4; Analysts Split on Margins
COUR

Telsey Advisory Group maintained an Outperform rating and a $14.00 price target on Coursera Inc. after the company's fourth-quarter 2025 results, which topped firm forecasts for revenue and adjusted EBITDA. Coursera provided 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance that exceeded Telsey and FactSet consensus estimates. Other broker reactions were mixed, with Needham reiterating a Buy at $10.00 and BMO lowering its price target to $8.00 while keeping an Outperform rating.

Key Points

  • Telsey Advisory Group maintained an Outperform rating and a $14.00 price target on Coursera after Q4 2025 results that beat its forecasts.
  • Coursera reported Q4 revenue of $197 million and adjusted EBITDA of about $11 million, both above Telsey estimates; 2026 guidance calls for $805 million to $815 million in revenue and $70 million to $76 million in adjusted EBITDA.
  • Platform enhancements, global expansion, and early traction for GenAI content supported Consumer segment growth; analyst reactions varied, reflecting tensions between growth and margin outlooks. Sectors impacted include education technology, consumer subscriptions, and software/platform markets.

Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed its Outperform rating on Coursera Inc (NYSE:COUR) and kept a $14.00 price target after the company released its fourth-quarter 2025 financial results.

Coursera reported fourth-quarter revenue of $197 million, representing 10% year-over-year growth and surpassing Telsey’s $192 million projection. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter rose roughly 18% to about $11 million, also beating Telsey’s estimate of $9 million.

For fiscal 2026, Coursera gave guidance calling for revenue in the range of $805 million to $815 million. That outlook is above Telsey’s $791 million target and the FactSet consensus of $798 million. The company forecast adjusted EBITDA of $70 million to $76 million, which corresponds to roughly a 9.0% margin.

Management attributed the results in part to continued expansion in the Consumer segment, driven by global growth and early traction for new GenAI content. The company said approximately 1,100+ GenAI courses reached an enrollment rate of 15 enrollments per minute in 2025, compared with 8 enrollments per minute in 2024. Demand for Coursera Plus subscriptions remained healthy across the period.

Platform improvements also supported performance. Coursera highlighted localized discovery, pricing, and payment-plan capabilities, along with enhanced translation that expanded 10,000+ courses into up to 26 languages. The company also implemented AI dubbing for more than 1,000 popular courses in five languages.

On an earnings-per-share basis, Coursera reported EPS of $0.06 for the quarter, matching analysts’ expectations. Revenue of $197 million modestly exceeded the projected $191.79 million noted by analysts.

Broker responses to the results varied. Needham reiterated a Buy rating on Coursera and maintained a $10.00 price target, highlighting the company’s better-than-expected performance and noting that the fiscal 2026 outlook indicates faster-than-expected growth, albeit with trade-offs for profitability. BMO Capital Markets adjusted its price target down to $8.00 from $11.00 but continued to carry an Outperform rating; the firm pointed to the company’s margin outlook as a key factor despite Coursera beating market expectations for revenue and adjusted EBITDA.

Coursera also announced a formal 15% platform fee, which the company expects will support consumer gross margins in the second half of 2026. Taken together, the analyst commentary and company disclosures present a mixed picture: top-line acceleration and product momentum paired with ongoing margin considerations.


Bottom line - Telsey’s reaffirmation of an Outperform rating rests on revenue and adjusted EBITDA results that outpaced its forecasts and on 2026 guidance that exceeded both Telsey and consensus estimates. Other sell-side firms acknowledged the stronger growth trajectory while calling attention to margin dynamics and profitability trade-offs.

Risks

  • Profitability pressure - Several analysts highlighted margin outlook and potential trade-offs between faster growth and near-term profitability, affecting investor returns in the education technology and subscription sectors.
  • Execution risk for platform changes - Realizing benefits from localization, translation expansion to 26 languages, and AI dubbing for 1,000+ courses depends on effective deployment and user adoption, relevant to software and platform operations.
  • Revenue guidance reliance - The 2026 outlook assumes continued growth in Consumer enrollments and Coursera Plus demand; failure to sustain these trends could affect the company’s financial trajectory and sentiment in the edtech market.

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