American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Price Target Raised to $68.00

Key Points

• B. Riley raised its price target on American Public Education from $65 to $68 and maintained a Buy rating, implying about 65% upside from the stock’s cited price.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: APEI has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $59.38.
• The company beat third-quarter earnings and revenue estimates and raised full-year guidance, but its 2026 EPS outlook of $2.59–$2.84 is below the $2.95 analyst consensus.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by research analysts at B. Riley Financial from $65.00 to $68.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. B. Riley Financial's price target points to a potential upside of 64.96% from the stock's current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. DA Davidson raised American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Lake Street Capital lifted their price target on American Public Education from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered American Public Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Public Education from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of American Public Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $59.38.

American Public Education Stock Performance

Shares of APEI traded up $2.13 on Tuesday, reaching $41.22. 353,320 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 289,425. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $44.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $49.55. The stock has a market cap of $754.34 million, a PE ratio of 16.92, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.49. American Public Education has a 52-week low of $32.96 and a 52-week high of $61.59. The company has a current ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 3.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 9th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $169.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $165.79 million. American Public Education had a return on equity of 15.30% and a net margin of 6.84%. On average, analysts forecast that American Public Education will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Public Education

In other American Public Education news, insider James Kenigsberg sold 1,256 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.69, for a total value of $59,898.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 43,473 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,073,227.37. This represents a 2.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 10.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of APEI. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 868.3% during the third quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 610 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in American Public Education in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in American Public Education by 111.8% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,360 shares of the company's stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,246 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted 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 acquiring an additional 1,451 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the 2nd quarter valued at $245,000. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting American Public Education

Here are the key news stories impacting American Public Education this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS was $0.32, topping the $0.26 consensus, while revenue of $169.14 million beat the $165.79 million estimate. The company said revenue, net income, EPS and adjusted EBITDA all exceeded its guidance. American Public Education Q3 results
• Positive Sentiment: APEI raised full-year 2026 guidance across key metrics. Revenue guidance of $695 million–$701 million is above the $693.5 million consensus, suggesting expected sales are slightly stronger than analysts anticipated. Full-year guidance update
• Neutral Sentiment: Fourth-quarter revenue guidance of $179.4 million–$185.4 million brackets the $181.2 million consensus, as does EPS guidance of $0.81–$1.07 versus the $0.95 estimate. Fourth-quarter guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the full-year increase, 2026 EPS guidance of $2.59–$2.84 is below the $2.95 consensus, a potential headwind if investors focus on the earnings outlook rather than the quarterly beat. 2026 EPS outlook

American Public Education Company Profile

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.

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