American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• American Public Education guided FY 2026 EPS to $2.48–$2.79, below the $2.93 analyst consensus, while revenue guidance of $690 million–$698 million was broadly in line with the $691 million consensus. Q3 EPS guidance was set at $0.18–$0.29.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.52 versus the $0.36 consensus and revenue of $171.73 million versus estimates of $170.88 million.
• APEI shares fell 7.5% to $47.39 following the guidance update. Despite the decline, analysts maintain an overall “Buy” rating with a consensus price target of $59.12.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.480-2.790 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 2.930. The company issued revenue guidance of $690.0 million-$698.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $691.0 million. American Public Education also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 0.180-0.290 EPS.

American Public Education Trading Down 7.5%

NASDAQ:APEI traded down $3.85 on Monday, reaching $47.39. The stock had a trading volume of 549,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 304,431. American Public Education has a 12-month low of $27.74 and a 12-month high of $61.59. The company has a market cap of $869.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.38. The firm's fifty day moving average is $52.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 2.98.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.16. American Public Education had a net margin of 6.13% and a return on equity of 14.02%. The business had revenue of $171.73 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.88 million. American Public Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.790 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.180-0.290 EPS. Equities analysts expect that American Public Education will post 2.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

APEI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research raised American Public Education from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Lake Street Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $62.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. DA Davidson reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $64.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Barrington Research raised their price target on American Public Education from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut American Public Education from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $59.12.

Insider Activity at American Public Education

In related news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.00, for a total value of $108,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 52,172 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,817,288. This trade represents a 3.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Public Education

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 5,909.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in American Public Education by 84.1% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,616 shares of the company's stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in American Public Education by 40.5% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in American Public Education by 96.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,643 shares of the company's stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 1,298 shares during the period. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in American Public Education by 259.6% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,276 shares of the company's stock worth $199,000 after buying an additional 3,809 shares during the period. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Public Education Company Profile

American Public Education, Inc operates as a provider of online postsecondary education, offering degree and certificate programs through its wholly owned subsidiary, American Public University System (APUS). The company designs and delivers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as business administration, information technology, criminal justice, homeland security, health sciences, and education. Its curriculum is developed to meet the needs of working adults, military personnel, veterans and civilian students seeking flexible, career-relevant learning opportunities.

APUS is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and employs a proprietary online learning platform that supports asynchronous instruction, digital course materials and interactive learning tools.

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