American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) - What Are Researchers Thinking About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately positive: Seven brokerages give American Public Education an average “Moderate Buy” rating, with an average 12-month price target of $59.38 versus the reported share price of $47.67.
• Recent results exceeded expectations: The company reported quarterly earnings of $0.52 per share, beating consensus estimates of $0.36, while revenue of $171.73 million was slightly above forecasts.
• Institutional ownership remains high: Hedge funds and other institutions own 79.62% of the stock, while an insider recently sold 1,256 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $59.38.

APEI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of American Public Education from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of American Public Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of American Public Education from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. DA Davidson upgraded shares of American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Lake Street Capital lifted their price objective on American Public Education from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th.

American Public Education Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ APEI opened at $47.67 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 3.25 and a quick ratio of 3.25. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $45.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.48. American Public Education has a 1-year low of $30.20 and a 1-year high of $61.59. The company has a market cap of $872.36 million, a PE ratio of 19.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.41.

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. The firm had revenue of $171.73 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.88 million. American Public Education had a net margin of 6.84% and a return on equity of 15.30%. 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. Sell-side analysts forecast that American Public Education will post 2.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider James Kenigsberg sold 1,256 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.69, for a total transaction of $59,898.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 43,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,073,227.37. This represents a 2.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 10.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of American Public Education

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 547 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in American Public Education in the second quarter valued at $47,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in American Public Education by 111.8% in the second 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 during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in American Public Education by 102.6% in the third 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 during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 2nd quarter worth $245,000. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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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