American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Stock Price Down 5.2% - What's Next?

Shares of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) traded down 5.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $28.16 and last traded at $28.00. 57,945 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 66% from the average session volume of 172,528 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.54.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on APEI. Northland Capmk raised shares of American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of American Public Education in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of American Public Education from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. William Blair raised American Public Education from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, 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 objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Public Education presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $32.20.

American Public Education Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $521.72 million, a P/E ratio of 28.35, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $27.61 and a 200 day moving average of $23.93. 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 posted its earnings results on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share 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 analyst estimates of $161.92 million. American Public Education had a net margin of 3.86% and a return on equity of 9.96%. Research analysts anticipate that American Public Education, Inc. will post 0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at American Public Education

In related news, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 7,272 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.11, for a total transaction of $197,143.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 85,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,316,793.49. The trade was a 7.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director 325 Capital Llc sold 214,396 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total transaction of $6,011,663.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 1,181,005 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,115,380.20. This trade represents a 15.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 669,736 shares of company stock worth $19,211,182. Insiders own 17.54% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bastion Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth about $9,563,000. Royce & Associates LP acquired a new stake in American Public Education in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $5,319,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in American Public Education by 379.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 282,325 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,090,000 after acquiring an additional 223,447 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management boosted its position in American Public Education by 649.4% during the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 214,551 shares of the company's stock worth $4,628,000 after acquiring an additional 185,920 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 4D Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American Public Education during the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,013,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.62% of the company's stock.

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.

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