American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $32.99, but opened at $37.20. American Public Education shares last traded at $34.79, with a volume of 87,475 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barrington Research increased their target price on American Public Education from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded American Public Education to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Northland Securities lifted their price objective on American Public Education from $38.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 25th. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday, September 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Finally, B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating on shares of American Public Education in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $38.29.

American Public Education Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $608.66 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.99, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a current ratio of 2.83, a quick ratio of 2.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $35.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.19.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of APEI. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of American Public Education by 5,909.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,241 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its stake in shares of American Public Education by 84.1% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares during the period. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in shares of American Public Education in the 2nd quarter worth $58,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in shares of American Public Education by 40.5% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

About American Public Education

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.