American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Hits New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Shares of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $31.83 and last traded at $30.98, with a volume of 39114 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.88.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APEI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barrington Research lifted their target price on shares of American Public Education from $24.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Northland Securities initiated coverage on shares of American Public Education in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $36.00 target price for the company. B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of American Public Education in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Northland Capmk upgraded shares of American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of American Public Education from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, American Public Education currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $32.20.

American Public Education Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $572.23 million, a PE ratio of 31.10, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.57. 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's 50 day simple moving average is $28.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.41.

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

Insider Transactions at American Public Education

In other news, Director 325 Capital Llc sold 214,396 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total transaction of $6,011,663.84. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,181,005 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,115,380.20. This trade represents a 15.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 in the company, valued at $2,316,793.49. The trade was a 7.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 669,736 shares of company stock worth $19,211,182 over the last three months. 17.54% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in American Public Education by 19,594.1% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,348 shares of the company's stock valued at $75,000 after acquiring an additional 3,331 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the first quarter valued at approximately $89,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $124,000. Militia Capital Partners LP lifted its position in American Public Education by 43.5% during the first quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP now owns 6,932 shares of the company's stock valued at $155,000 after acquiring an additional 2,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in American Public Education by 16.2% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 8,155 shares of the company's stock valued at $176,000 after acquiring an additional 1,134 shares during the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.