Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of APEI Q1 Earnings

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for American Public Education in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $0.68 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $0.66. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for American Public Education’s current full-year earnings is $2.59 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Public Education’s Q2 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.69 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.89 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.73 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $0.71 EPS.

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

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Lake Street Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $62.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings upgraded American Public Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price objective on American Public Education from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, Barrington Research lifted their price target on shares of American Public Education from $56.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.12.

American Public Education Price Performance

Shares of American Public Education stock opened at $58.04 on Wednesday. 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 fifty-two week low of $27.74 and a fifty-two week high of $61.59. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $53.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.25. The company has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of 30.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.37.

Insider Activity at American Public Education

In related news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.00, for a total transaction of $108,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 52,172 shares in the company, valued at $2,817,288. This represents a 3.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 263,533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,962,000 after purchasing an additional 22,472 shares in the last quarter. Crown Advisors Management Inc. bought a new position in American Public Education in the 4th quarter valued at $1,890,000. Royce & Associates LP boosted its position in American Public Education by 10.7% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 358,543 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,553,000 after buying an additional 34,751 shares during the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP increased its stake in shares of American Public Education by 19.8% in the 4th quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 119,268 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,508,000 after buying an additional 19,736 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of American Public Education by 1,667.5% during the fourth quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 180,835 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,836,000 after acquiring an additional 170,604 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company’s 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.