Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 219,881 Shares of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI)

Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Free Report) by 20.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 852,300 shares of the company's stock after selling 219,881 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 4.81% of American Public Education worth $18,384,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of APEI. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of American Public Education by 350.3% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 11,658 shares of the company's stock valued at $172,000 after purchasing an additional 9,069 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 27.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 275,889 shares of the company's stock worth $4,069,000 after buying an additional 58,984 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in American Public Education by 17.4% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 28,078 shares of the company's stock valued at $414,000 after buying an additional 4,167 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in American Public Education by 0.6% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 404,168 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,963,000 after buying an additional 2,573 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in American Public Education in the third quarter worth $247,000. 79.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Public Education

In related news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 3,700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.07, for a total transaction of $81,659.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 60,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,329,783.71. This represents a 5.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 11.38% of the company's stock.

American Public Education Stock Performance

Shares of APEI traded up $0.62 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $22.97. 92,365 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 170,527. American Public Education, Inc. has a 1 year low of $11.80 and a 1 year high of $25.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 2.65 and a current ratio of 2.65. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $22.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.42. The stock has a market cap of $414.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.47.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on APEI shares. B. Riley started coverage on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Friday, March 28th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $28.00 price target on the stock. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $24.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a report on Friday, March 7th. William Blair upgraded shares of American Public Education from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on American Public Education from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised American Public Education from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $25.33.

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.