American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) has received a consensus "Buy" rating from seven research firms, with an average price target of $32.20.
• The company recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.41 per share, significantly exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.15, supported by revenue of $164.55 million.
• Insiders at American Public Education sold a total of 669,736 shares valued at approximately $19.2 million over the last ninety days, indicating potential shifts in ownership.

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Buy" from the seven research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $32.20.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on APEI shares. Barrington Research increased their target price on shares of American Public Education from $24.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Northland Securities started coverage on shares of American Public Education in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $36.00 target price for the company. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating on shares of American Public Education in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Truist Financial increased their target price on American Public Education from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Northland Capmk raised American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 18th.

American Public Education Stock Up 1.9%

American Public Education stock traded up $0.58 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $30.52. The stock had a trading volume of 212,636 shares, compared to its average volume of 293,905. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $29.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $550.58 million, a P/E ratio of 29.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.60. American Public Education has a 12-month low of $11.80 and a 12-month high of $32.24. The company has a quick ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 3.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.26. American Public Education had a net margin of 3.86% and a return on equity of 9.96%. The company had revenue of $164.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $161.92 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Public Education will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other American Public Education news, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 7,272 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.11, for a total transaction of $197,143.92. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 85,459 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,316,793.49. The trade was a 7.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director 325 Capital Llc sold 214,396 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total value of $6,011,663.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,181,005 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,115,380.20. This represents a 15.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 669,736 shares of company stock worth $19,211,182 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 17.54% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $58,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of American Public Education by 19,594.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,348 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 3,331 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC purchased a new position in American Public Education in the 1st quarter valued at $89,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth $124,000. Finally, Militia Capital Partners LP grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 43.5% during the first quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP now owns 6,932 shares of the company's stock worth $155,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company's stock.

About American Public Education

American Public Education, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides online and campus-based postsecondary education and career learning in the United States. It operates through three segments: American Public University System, Rasmussen University, and Hondros College of Nursing. The company offers 184 degree programs and 134 certificate programs in various fields of study, including nursing, national security, military studies, intelligence, homeland security, business, health science, information technology, justice studies, education, and liberal arts; and career learning opportunities in leadership, finance, human resources, and other fields of study critical to the federal government workforce.