KLC NYSE Week ended 31 Jul 2026

Weekly Investor Report

KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. · Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services

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Latest close 5.35 USD
8.5% latest week
Weekly setup

Constructive, but selective

The weekly trend is active. Price is 36.4% above the Trend Line and sits at 44.1% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 8.5%, after a 10.3% four-week move. The latest factor snapshot indicates quality ranks weakly versus its universe; growth is moderate; valuation is inexpensive relative to peers. Options positioning is volatility with 53/100 conviction, while the latest news-sentiment score is 53/100. Near-term considerations: volume confirmation is below normal; earnings are due in 9d.

Setup score 45 out of 100
Latest Close 5.35 USD 31 Jul 2026
1W Return 8.5% latest completed week
4W Return 10.3% short-term follow-through
12W Return 36.5% quarterly tape
Trend Breadth 5.8% 3 of 52 weeks active
Volume Ratio 0.6x vs 13-week average
What is working
  • The trend backdrop is active with a 3-week active streak.
  • Price is above the Trend Line, keeping the weekly tape constructive.
  • Activity pressure is positive on the latest completed week.
What could go wrong
  • Price is below Fair Value, so the market is still discounting the latest tape.
  • The share remains more than 20% below its 52-week high.
What to watch next
  • Trend Line remains the key weekly regime level.
  • Activity pressure is the gauge to monitor for confirmation or fade.
  • A volume ratio above 1.5x would show stronger participation in the next move.
Price follow-through 8.5% Latest completed week; four-week move 10.3%. Indicator stack 14/73 Trend and activity pressure are weighted against the latest 12-week confirmation window. Trend backdrop Active The trend backdrop defines the current weekly regime. Patient Capital Quiet Activity-pressure buy-signal status for institutional accumulation timing. Options pressure Volatility 53/100 conviction; expected move 19.6%. News sentiment 53/100 57 relevant articles in the latest sentiment read. Event risk 9d Next report is scheduled for 11 Aug 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
01 · Price action

Where price is—and whether the trend supports it

The weekly trend is active. Price is 36.4% above the Trend Line and sits at 44.1% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 8.5%, after a 10.3% four-week move.

Study the full chart

52-week price path

Price vs Trend Line and Fair Value
Price Trend Line Fair Value
02 · Volume and demand

Is real participation confirming the move?

Latest weekly volume is 0.6x the 13-week average. Participation is below its recent norm, so price strength is not receiving full volume confirmation.

26-week volume confirmation

Bar height shows volume; colour shows the weekly price direction
6 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24 Apr 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 5 Jun 12 Jun 19 Jun 26 Jun 3 Jul 10 Jul 17 Jul 24 Jul 31 Jul
Up week Down week
Demand beneath price

Activity pressure and institutional-style signals

These indicators assess whether participation is improving beneath the headline price move. They are supporting evidence, not proof of institutional buying.

Activity pressure path

Latest 0.4912-week average 0.25

12-week confirmation

Trend active3/12Active trend-backdrop weeks in the latest 12-week window.
Positive pressure12/12Weeks with constructive activity pressure in the latest 12-week window.
Positive leadership1/12Weeks with positive relative leadership in the latest 12-week window.
Activity pressure0.49Current proprietary activity-pressure read.
Buy signals0Accumulation signal count in the latest 12 weeks.
Reversal markers0No reversal markers

No recent accumulation markers. No reversal markers.

03 · Momentum and leadership

Is performance persistent—and is the stock leading?

Performance is 10.3% over four weeks, 36.5% over 12 weeks, and -43.6% over one year. The current trend has remained active for 3 consecutive weeks.

Performance by holding period

1W8.5%
4W10.3%
12W36.5%
26W14.6%
52W-43.6%
Active trend streak3 weeks
Active weeks in one year3
Trend breadth5.8%

Activity pressure vs relative leadership

Activity pressureRelative leadership
Pressure1.28Latest activity-pressure read.
Pressure change1.8%Four-week change in activity pressure.
Leadership2.26Latest relative-leadership reading.
RS change114.9%Four-week change in relative leadership.
04 · Fundamentals and valuation

What investors are paying for—and the quality behind it

The latest factor snapshot indicates quality ranks weakly versus its universe; growth is moderate; valuation is inexpensive relative to peers.

Open full factor analysis
Factor week 26 Jul 2026 Financial statements through 31 Mar 2026 Field coverage 85% Model confidence 81%

Relative factor standing

Higher display scores are better. Each score is converted from the underlying universe rank, where rank 1 is best.

Overall factor strength40/100Blend of value, momentum, and quality. Underlying universe rank 61; rank 1 is best.
Value83/100Relative valuation strength. Underlying universe rank 18; rank 1 is best.
Quality8/100Profitability and accounting quality. Underlying universe rank 93; rank 1 is best.
Momentum5/100Medium-term price momentum. Underlying universe rank 96; rank 1 is best.
Growth29/100Revenue and earnings growth. Underlying universe rank 72; rank 1 is best.
How to read this

Quality and valuation are separate questions

A strong company can still carry a demanding valuation. This report shows profitability, growth, balance-sheet strength, and the price paid for those characteristics separately.

Valuation

How much investors are paying for earnings, sales, and cash flow.

P/E
-
Price divided by trailing earnings.
Price / sales
0.2x
Market value relative to trailing revenue.
EV / EBITDA
-
Enterprise value relative to operating cash earnings.
Free-cash-flow yield
10.3%
Free cash flow as a share of enterprise value.

Business quality

Margins and the return generated on invested capital.

Gross margin
16.4%
Gross profit retained from each unit of revenue.
Operating margin
-12.1%
Operating profit retained from revenue.
Free-cash-flow margin
11.2%
Free cash flow generated from revenue.
Return on invested capital
-8.6%
Operating return generated on invested capital.

Growth and financial strength

Recent business growth and accounting strength.

Revenue growth
2.3%
Latest one-year revenue growth.
EPS growth
-
Latest one-year earnings-per-share growth.
Free-cash-flow growth
-0.8%
Latest one-year free-cash-flow growth.
Piotroski F-score
4/9
Nine-point accounting-strength checklist.

Shareholder return and balance sheet

Cash returned to owners and financial leverage.

Dividend yield
0.0%
Cash dividends relative to market value.
Buyback yield
0.0%
Net share repurchases relative to market value.
Shareholder yield
0.0%
Dividend yield plus net buyback yield.
Net debt / EBITDA
-11.7x
Balance-sheet debt relative to operating cash earnings.
05 · Ownership, options, and sentiment

What other market participants are doing

Options, insider transactions, market sentiment, and activity-pressure signals can confirm or challenge the price story. None should be used alone.

Options positioningVolatility

KLC shows volatility options pressure with a 53/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of 0.00, expected move of 19.6%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Conviction53/100
Expected move19.6%
Put/call volume0.00
Pressure100
Speculation0
Volatility96
Trend agreement5
Open options detail
Insider activity-

No recent insider transactions are stored for this company.

News sentiment53/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 57 relevant articles.

15 positive · 39 neutral · 3 negative
Patient CapitalQuiet

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

No recent buy signal
06 · Catalysts and risk

What can move the shares—and how volatile the path has been

Event timing, options-implied movement, drawdown, and weekly return distribution frame the risk around the current setup.

Next earnings9dNext report is scheduled for 11 Aug 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
Options expected move19.6%Nearest-chain priced movement where available.
52-week drawdown-46.1%Distance below the 52-week high.
13-week volatility6.4%Standard deviation of weekly returns.

Weekly gains and losses

Latest 26 completed weeks

Each bar is one week. Gains rise above the zero line; losses fall below it. Taller bars mean a larger weekly move.

Weeks higher18 of 268 weeks finished lower.
Best week+23.4%Week of 1 May.
Worst week-45.7%Week of 13 Mar.
Latest week+8.5%Week of 31 Jul.

Shape of recent returns

Strong gains10
Modest gains8
Flat weeks0
Modest losses1
Sharp losses7
Recent vol6.4%13-week weekly-return volatility.
Base vol11.4%52-week weekly-return volatility.
Up/down split27/24Count of positive and negative weeks in the 52-week window.
Average skew7.3% / -8.9%Average positive week versus average negative week.
07 · Sector and peer context

Is this stock leading—or simply moving with its group?

Sector and industry breadth distinguish company-specific strength from a broad group move.

08 · Evidence and weekly data

The underlying research record

Every top-level statement above should be traceable to a stored market, fundamental, event, or positioning observation.

Weekly tape38/100

Trend, activity pressure, participation, and risk combine to a 38/100 tape read.

 Indicator analysis46/100

Latest 12-week confirmation: trend 3/12, activity pressure 12/12, relative leadership 1/12.

Activity pressure 0.49; No reversal markers Factors33/100

O'Shaughnessy factor stack blends value, quality, momentum, and confidence.

Buyback Yield rank 65; Small Cap Core rank 23 Patient CapitalQuiet

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

No recent buy signal Options37/100

KLC shows volatility options pressure with a 53/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of 0.00, expected move of 19.6%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Volatility · Volatility expansion watch · Expected move 19.6% Sentiment53/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 57 relevant articles.

KLC|Kindercare Learning Companies Inc|Price:5.440|Chg%:+0.160 Insiders50/100

No recent insider transaction evidence is stored.

 Earnings9d

Next report is scheduled for 11 Aug 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
WeekCloseReturnTrend LineFair ValuePressureLeadershipVolumeTrend
31 Jul 20265.35 USD8.5%3.92 USD10.21 USD1.282.262.5MOn
24 Jul 20264.93 USD-5.6%3.88 USD10.26 USD1.34-6.842.0MOn
17 Jul 20265.22 USD3.6%3.86 USD10.32 USD1.32-4.322.6MOn
10 Jul 20265.04 USD3.9%3.84 USD10.37 USD1.29-11.042.6MOff
3 Jul 20264.85 USD14.9%3.82 USD10.43 USD1.26-15.155.1MOff
26 Jun 20264.22 USD1.4%3.81 USD10.49 USD1.21-26.343.3MOff
19 Jun 20264.16 USD0.7%3.80 USD10.56 USD1.18-31.013.5MOff
12 Jun 20264.13 USD4.6%3.80 USD10.64 USD1.09-32.572.8MOff
5 Jun 20263.95 USD2.9%3.79 USD10.71 USD1.06-36.833.4MOff
29 May 20263.84 USD7.3%3.84 USD10.79 USD0.92-41.934.5MOff
22 May 20263.58 USD-10.9%3.91 USD10.87 USD0.84-46.945.3MOff
15 May 20264.02 USD2.6%4.00 USD10.96 USD0.69-41.8410.0MOff
8 May 20263.92 USD-5.8%4.06 USD11.04 USD0.43-44.925.1MOff
1 May 20264.16 USD23.4%4.12 USD11.13 USD0.24-42.283.9MOff
How to use this report

This is a completed-week research summary. It explains the available evidence and its conflicts; it does not predict a guaranteed outcome or replace your own risk assessment. Fundamental figures may refer to an earlier financial reporting period, which is shown above.