American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Stock Price Down 5.2% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• The stock price of American Public Education (APEI) fell by 5.2% to $28.29, with a significant drop in trading volume of 76% from its average.
• Analysts have mixed feelings, with a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $35.17, while recent report ratings include a "strong-buy" and price targets ranging from $30 to $37.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of ($0.02) per share, exceeding estimates by $0.05, with revenue of $162.77 million that also surpassed forecasts.

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) shares traded down 5.2% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $28.82 and last traded at $28.29. 47,691 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 194,696 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.83.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APEI has been the subject of several research reports. Northland Capmk raised American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Truist Financial raised their target price on American Public Education from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Griffin Securities set a $37.00 target price on American Public Education in a research note on Thursday. Barrington Research set a $36.00 price target on American Public Education and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Northland Securities assumed coverage on American Public Education in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $36.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $35.17.

American Public Education Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $506.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 2.83 and a current ratio of 2.83.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.07) by $0.05. American Public Education had a return on equity of 10.82% and a net margin of 4.44%. The firm had revenue of $162.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $160.88 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that American Public Education, Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Public Education

In other news, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 7,272 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 85,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,316,793.49. This represents a 7.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director 325 Capital Llc sold 214,396 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total value of $6,011,663.84. Following the sale, the director owned 1,181,005 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,115,380.20. The trade was a 15.36% 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 valued at $19,211,182 over the last 90 days. 17.54% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of American Public Education

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of APEI. Bastion Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth $9,563,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of American Public Education by 124.8% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 668,130 shares of the company's stock worth $20,342,000 after buying an additional 370,894 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 1st quarter worth $5,319,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of American Public Education by 379.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 282,325 shares of the company's stock worth $6,090,000 after buying an additional 223,447 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CSM Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 2nd quarter worth $6,723,000. 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.

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