American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) Receives $32.20 Average Price Target from Analysts

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.

Shares of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Buy" from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $34.00.

Several analysts recently issued reports on APEI shares. Northland Capmk upgraded American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Barrington Research lifted their target price on 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 began coverage on American Public Education in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $36.00 price target for the company. Lake Street Capital raised their price target on American Public Education from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on American Public Education from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th.

American Public Education Stock Performance

APEI stock traded down $2.82 during trading on Friday, reaching $28.71. The stock had a trading volume of 475,148 shares, compared to its average volume of 193,281. American Public Education has a 52 week low of $11.83 and a 52 week high of $32.24. The stock's 50 day moving average is $29.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.51. The company has a current ratio of 3.27, a quick ratio of 3.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $517.96 million, a PE ratio of 28.07, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.60.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.05. American Public Education had a return on equity of 9.96% and a net margin of 3.86%. The firm had revenue of $162.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $160.88 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that American Public Education will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of American Public Education

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bastion Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in American Public Education during the 4th quarter valued at $9,563,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of American Public Education by 124.8% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 668,130 shares of the company's stock valued at $20,342,000 after purchasing an additional 370,894 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP purchased a new stake in shares of American Public Education in the first quarter valued at $5,319,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of American Public Education by 379.5% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 282,325 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,090,000 after purchasing an additional 223,447 shares during the period. Finally, CSM Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of American Public Education in the second quarter valued at $6,723,000. 79.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Public Education Company Profile

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.