Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM) vs Stride (LRN)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM) has outperformed Stride (LRN) over the past year, losing 32.9% versus a loss of 43.1%. Over five years, LRN leads with a +132.2% price change compared with -59.2% for BFAM. Stride is the larger company by market cap ($3.31 billion vs $3.25 billion), about 1.0 times the size, while Bright Horizons Family Solutions is growing revenue faster (+9.2% vs +4.7%).
On valuation, Stride trades at a lower forward P/E (8.6x vs 11.3x for Bright Horizons Family Solutions). Stride converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 13.4% versus 6.6%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BFAM | LRN |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $66.84 | $79.62 |
| Market cap | $3.25B | $3.31B |
| 1-day change | +0.63% | -0.16% |
| YTD return | -34.08% | +22.62% |
| 1-year return | -32.88% | -43.13% |
| 5-year return | -59.20% | +132.20% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 21.15 | 11.15 |
| Forward P/E | 11.33 | 8.58 |
| EPS (TTM) | $3.16 | $7.14 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $2.93B | $2.52B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +9.22% | +4.69% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $193.12M | $338.19M |
| Gross margin | 23.77% | 37.75% |
| Operating margin | 10.73% | 17.90% |
| Net margin | 6.58% | 13.43% |
| 52-week high | $109.86 | $155.06 |
| 52-week low | $57.63 | $60.61 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -39.16% | -48.65% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +31.82% | +35.02% |
| Average volume | 828.35K | 841.43K |
| Shares outstanding | 48.64M | 41.56M |
| Employees | 32,200 | 9,200 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Real Estate |
| Industry | Other Consumer Services | Other Consumer Services |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- BFAM has outperformed LRN by 10.2 percentage points over the past year.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions trades at a higher earnings multiple (21.2x vs 11.2x trailing P/E).
- Stride is more profitable, keeping 13.4 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus 6.6 cents for Bright Horizons Family Solutions.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: Bright Horizons Family Solutions in Consumer Discretionary and Stride in Real Estate.
About Bright Horizons Family Solutions
BFAM stock →Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc. provides early education and childcare, comprehensive back-up care, educational advisory, and other workplace solutions services for employers and families in the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and India.
Consumer Discretionary · Other Consumer Services · 32,200 employees
About Stride
LRN stock →Stride, Inc., a technology company, provides an educational platform to deliver proprietary and third-party curriculum, software systems, and educational services in the United States. The company offers online coursework and content in software engineering, healthcare, and medical fields, as well as state customized versions of those courses, electives, and instructional supports; end-to-end platform includes single sign-on capability for content management, learning management, student information, data reporting and analytics, and various support systems that provides an educational experience for students; and stand-alone products and services which can provide curriculum and content hosting on customers' learning management systems, or integration with customers' student information systems.
Real Estate · Other Consumer Services · 9,200 employees
BFAM vs LRN FAQ
Which is bigger, Bright Horizons Family Solutions or Stride?
Stride (LRN) is larger, with a market capitalization of $3.31B compared with $3.25B for Bright Horizons Family Solutions (BFAM).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BFAM or LRN?
BFAM returned -32.88% over the past 12 months, compared with -43.13% for LRN (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, BFAM or LRN?
LRN has the lower trailing P/E at 11.2, versus 21.2 for BFAM. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Are Bright Horizons Family Solutions and Stride in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Other Consumer Services industry within the Consumer Discretionary sector.