Panagora Asset Management Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in American Public Education, Inc. $APEI

Key Points

• Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in American Public Education by 101.6%, acquiring 33,045 additional shares, bringing its total to 65,561 shares valued at approximately $1.46 million.
• Multiple institutional investors, including Vanguard Group Inc. and Ameriprise Financial Inc., have also expanded their stakes in American Public Education, with institutional ownership now at 79.62%.
• American Public Education reported earnings of ($0.02) EPS, exceeding analyst expectations, and its current consensus rating is classified as a "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $35.17.

Panagora Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Free Report) by 101.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,561 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 33,045 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. owned 0.36% of American Public Education worth $1,463,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royce & Associates LP acquired a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 1st quarter worth about $5,319,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 783.2% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 93,011 shares of the company's stock worth $2,076,000 after acquiring an additional 82,480 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of American Public Education by 9.2% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 750,912 shares of the company's stock worth $16,197,000 after buying an additional 63,103 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 908,974 shares of the company's stock worth $20,288,000 after buying an additional 56,674 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bastion Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in American Public Education by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Bastion Asset Management Inc. now owns 485,901 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,845,000 after buying an additional 42,575 shares during the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Public Education Stock Up 2.2%

APEI traded up $0.70 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $32.30. 246,992 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 201,247. American Public Education, Inc. has a one year low of $13.45 and a one year high of $32.93. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $30.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $26.81. The company has a market cap of $583.66 million, a PE ratio of 30.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.83 and a quick ratio of 2.83.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on APEI shares. Lake Street Capital boosted their price target on American Public Education from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. B. Riley boosted their price target on shares of American Public Education from $36.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Northland Capmk raised shares of American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, Barrington Research upped their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, American Public Education presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $35.17.

American Public Education 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.