American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Given New $65.00 Price Target at B. Riley Financial

Key Points

• B. Riley Financial cut American Public Education’s price target to $65 from $70 while maintaining a “buy” rating, implying 40.78% potential upside from the reported $46.17 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average target price of $59, though several firms have recently downgraded the stock to “hold.”
• American Public Education exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.52 in earnings per share versus the $0.36 estimate and $171.73 million in revenue versus $170.88 million expected.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by investment analysts at B. Riley Financial from $70.00 to $65.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. B. Riley Financial's target price indicates a potential upside of 40.78% from the company's current price.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Lake Street Capital upped their price target on shares of American Public Education from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. DA Davidson raised American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings downgraded American Public Education from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Public Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded American Public Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Public Education presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $59.00.

American Public Education Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ APEI opened at $46.17 on Wednesday. The business's 50 day moving average is $45.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.52. American Public Education has a 52-week low of $30.20 and a 52-week high of $61.59. The firm has a market cap of $845.00 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.00 and a beta of 1.41.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $171.73 million for 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. Analysts anticipate that American Public Education will post 2.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Public Education news, insider James Kenigsberg sold 1,256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.69, for a total transaction of $59,898.64. Following the transaction, the insider owned 43,473 shares in the company, valued at $2,073,227.37. The trade was a 2.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Public Education

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its position in American Public Education by 868.3% in the third quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 610 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 547 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in American Public Education by 102.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,865 shares of the company's stock valued at $121,000 after buying an additional 1,451 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 12.2% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 59,899 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,527,000 after acquiring an additional 6,516 shares in the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the second quarter valued at about $399,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP increased its position in shares of American Public Education by 26.5% during the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 34,006 shares of the company's stock worth $1,826,000 after acquiring an additional 7,132 shares during the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About American Public Education

American Public Education, Inc NASDAQ: APEI is an education services company that provides postsecondary instruction and career-focused training through a group of institutions. Its portfolio includes American Public University System, Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing.

American Public University System offers undergraduate and graduate programs primarily through online and distance-learning formats. Its institutions serve military personnel, veterans, working adults and other students, with academic offerings spanning areas such as business, public service, health care, technology, security and liberal arts.

Rasmussen University provides undergraduate and graduate education through online and campus-based programs, with a focus on health sciences, nursing, business, technology and other career-oriented fields.

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