American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Barrington Research increased their price target on American Public Education from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen raised American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. B. Riley Financial boosted their price target on shares of American Public Education from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of American Public Education from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $64.00 price objective on shares of American Public Education in a report on Monday, June 1st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.38.

American Public Education Stock Performance

APEI opened at $45.13 on Tuesday. American Public Education has a twelve month low of $28.34 and a twelve month high of $61.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $825.88 million, a PE ratio of 18.57, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 2.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $52.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $51.77.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $171.73 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $170.88 million. American Public Education had a net margin of 6.84% and a return on equity of 15.56%. American Public Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.790 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.180-0.290 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that American Public Education will post 2.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at American Public Education

In other news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 2,000 shares of American Public Education stock in a transaction on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.00, for a total value of $108,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 52,172 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,817,288. The trade was a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of APEI. Globeflex Capital L P purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the second quarter worth about $2,498,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,721,000. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its stake in shares of American Public Education by 15.1% in the second quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 28,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,540,000 after purchasing an additional 3,772 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 2.3% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 181,434 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,743,000 after purchasing an additional 4,125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PVG Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 502.3% in the first quarter. PVG Asset Management Corp now owns 42,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,220,000 after purchasing an additional 35,807 shares in the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about American Public Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings beat expectations. APEI reported adjusted earnings of $0.52 per share, above the $0.36 analyst consensus, while revenue of $171.73 million also slightly exceeded expectations. The company maintained a profitable outlook, supported by a 6.84% net margin and 15.56% return on equity. American Public Education Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst earnings estimates increased. Northland Securities raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to $2.58 from $2.53 and its FY2027 estimate to $3.06 from $3.05. The FY2027 forecast is well above the broader current-year consensus of $2.59, suggesting expectations for continued earnings growth. Northland Securities Estimate Changes
• Positive Sentiment: New Salesforce-powered AI platform could improve student retention and efficiency. APEI is developing a platform designed to unify the student experience through personalized support, proactive advising and connected services. The rollout is expected to begin in early 2027, creating a potential longer-term growth catalyst. American Public Education Unveils AI-Powered Student Lifecycle Platform
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided a substantial revenue outlook. APEI expects 2026 revenue of approximately $690 million to $698 million, reinforcing expectations for continued expansion. APEI 2026 Revenue Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Value-oriented investors may find the stock attractive. Zacks highlighted APEI as a strong value stock, but the report is based primarily on valuation and style metrics rather than a new business development. Why American Public Education Is a Strong Value Stock

About American Public Education

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.