American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) Shares Sold by GSA Capital Partners LLP

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners LLP has reduced its stake in American Public Education, Inc. by 33.1%, selling 19,152 shares and now holding approximately 0.21% of the company valued at $864,000.
• Several institutional investors, including GAMMA Investing LLC and JPMorgan Chase & Co., have recently increased their holdings in American Public Education, contributing to 79.62% of the stock being owned by such entities.
• Analysts have generally rated American Public Education as a "Buy", with a consensus target price of $32.20, reflecting optimism about the company's future performance.

GSA Capital Partners LLP trimmed its stake in American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Free Report) by 33.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,689 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,152 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP owned approximately 0.21% of American Public Education worth $864,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of APEI. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 19,594.1% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,348 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 3,331 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education in the 1st quarter worth about $89,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education in the 4th quarter worth about $124,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in American Public Education by 16.2% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 8,155 shares of the company's stock worth $176,000 after buying an additional 1,134 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 29.2% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 9,057 shares of the company's stock valued at $195,000 after purchasing an additional 2,049 shares during the period. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

American Public Education Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:APEI traded up $0.05 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $29.99. The stock had a trading volume of 55,157 shares, compared to its average volume of 189,756. American Public Education, Inc. has a 12-month low of $11.80 and a 12-month high of $32.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $541.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a quick ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 3.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.43.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $164.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $161.92 million. American Public Education had a return on equity of 9.96% and a net margin of 3.86%. On average, equities research analysts expect that American Public Education, Inc. will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on APEI shares. B. Riley reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Lake Street Capital increased their price target on American Public Education from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Northland Capmk upgraded American Public Education to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on American Public Education from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Barrington Research increased their price target on American Public Education from $24.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $32.20.

Insider Activity at American Public Education

In other American Public Education news, Director 325 Capital Llc sold 214,396 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total value of $6,011,663.84. Following the sale, the director directly owned 1,181,005 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $33,115,380.20. This trade represents a 15.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 7,272 shares of the firm'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 value of $197,143.92. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 669,736 shares of company stock worth $19,211,182. 17.54% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.