Zacks Research Analysts Increase Earnings Estimates for APEI

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its earnings estimates for American Public Education (NASDAQ: APEI), lifting its Q3 2026 EPS forecast to $0.46 from $0.45 and also increasing projections for FY2026, FY2027, and several quarterly periods ahead.
• The analyst view remains mixed but generally constructive: Zacks kept a Hold rating, while other firms recently issued buy ratings and higher price targets, and MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target price of $59.13.
• APEI recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting $0.94 EPS versus the $0.61 consensus and revenue of $174.74 million, while also guiding Q2 2026 EPS at $0.34 to $0.39.

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q3 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of American Public Education in a report released on Monday, May 25th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $0.46 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.45. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for American Public Education's current full-year earnings is $2.54 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Public Education's FY2026 earnings at $2.63 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.66 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.61 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.67 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.85 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.75 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.17 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on APEI. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Public Education from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Lake Street Capital restated a "buy" rating and set a $62.00 price objective on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. William Blair set a $58.00 price objective on American Public Education in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Griffin Securities set a $53.00 price objective on American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, American Public Education has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $59.13.

American Public Education Price Performance

Shares of APEI opened at $52.68 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $966.15 million, a P/E ratio of 27.87, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $56.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.98 and a quick ratio of 2.98. American Public Education has a 12 month low of $25.80 and a 12 month high of $61.59.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 11th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.33. The business had revenue of $174.74 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $173.73 million. American Public Education had a return on equity of 14.02% and a net margin of 6.13%.American Public Education has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.340-0.390 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of APEI. No Street GP LP bought a new position in shares of American Public Education in the third quarter worth $32,365,000. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of American Public Education in the third quarter worth $15,108,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 1,667.5% in the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 180,835 shares of the company's stock worth $6,836,000 after purchasing an additional 170,604 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 122.9% in the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 294,386 shares of the company's stock worth $11,619,000 after purchasing an additional 162,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 1,025.5% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 130,600 shares of the company's stock worth $4,937,000 after purchasing an additional 118,996 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CMO Karmela Gaffney sold 2,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.87, for a total value of $150,849.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 40,527 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,264,243.49. This represents a 6.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.70, for a total value of $115,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 62,172 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,587,324.40. The trade was a 3.12% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 377,071 shares of company stock valued at $20,753,569. Company insiders own 10.60% of the company's stock.

American Public Education News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings forecasts for American Public Education across several upcoming periods, including FY2026, FY2027, Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, and Q1 2028, signaling improved profit expectations. APEI analyst estimate updates
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholders backed the company’s directors and governance at the May 22 annual meeting, which may reduce near-term governance concerns. American Public Education Shareholders Back Directors and Governance
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research also described APEI as a strong value stock, which may support a favorable valuation view but does not represent a direct operational catalyst. Here’s Why American Public Education (APEI) is a Strong Value Stock
• Negative Sentiment: One Zacks update trimmed FY2028 earnings slightly, and the overall analyst stance remains only Hold, suggesting upside may still be limited unless execution improves further. APEI analyst estimate updates

American Public Education Company Profile

American Public Education, Inc operates as a provider of online postsecondary education, offering degree and certificate programs through its wholly owned subsidiary, American Public University System (APUS). The company designs and delivers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs in fields such as business administration, information technology, criminal justice, homeland security, health sciences, and education. Its curriculum is developed to meet the needs of working adults, military personnel, veterans and civilian students seeking flexible, career-relevant learning opportunities.

APUS is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and employs a proprietary online learning platform that supports asynchronous instruction, digital course materials and interactive learning tools.

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