Brokerages Set American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) PT at $54.25

Shares of American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $55.50.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of American Public Education from $48.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Barrington Research upped their target price on shares of American Public Education from $51.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $53.00 price target on American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th.

American Public Education Price Performance

American Public Education stock opened at $54.32 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $44.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.77. The company has a quick ratio of 3.46, a current ratio of 3.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $998.40 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.70. American Public Education has a 12-month low of $20.75 and a 12-month high of $58.69.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.28. American Public Education had a return on equity of 11.30% and a net margin of 4.86%.The firm had revenue of $158.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $151.61 million. American Public Education has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.580-0.640 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that American Public Education will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other American Public Education news, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 6,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.87, for a total value of $350,155.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 84,175 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,534,507.25. This represents a 7.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Tanya Joy Axenson sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.68, for a total value of $1,113,600.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 49,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,779,378.56. This trade represents a 28.61% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 212,759 shares of company stock worth $11,817,295. Company insiders own 17.54% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in American Public Education in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. bought a new position in shares of American Public Education during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 5,909.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 1,241 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 738 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in shares of American Public Education by 40.5% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

American Public Education News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price-target lift: DA Davidson raised its price target to $58 and maintained a Buy stance, reinforcing upside after APEI’s recent results. DA Davidson Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Broader analyst support: Several outlets/researchers have published higher targets recently, adding momentum to the bullish narrative around the company’s recovery and growth prospects. Price Target $56 Price Target $57
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings and outlook support: APEI reported a Q4 EPS beat and revenue above expectations and provided Q1 guidance (0.580–0.640 EPS), which underpins the recent analyst upgrades and constructive coverage. Zacks Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Positive media coverage: Recent articles praising APEI’s “stellar Q4” and diversified program mix reinforce the view that earnings momentum may be sustainable. Q4 Performance Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data appears anomalous: recent short-interest releases show zero-share totals and NaN changes (days-to-cover = 0.0), suggesting a reporting/data issue rather than a real shift in bearish positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Three insiders sold on March 16 — SVP Tanya Joy Axenson sold 20,000 shares (~$55.68 avg), Nuno S. Fernandes sold 6,500 shares (~$53.87 avg), and SVP Thomas Beckett sold 2,000 shares (~$57.70 avg). These sizeable disposals (Axenson’s sale reduced her stake by ~28.6%) can create short-term selling pressure or raise questions about timing, though insiders often sell for personal reasons. Axenson Form 4 Fernandes Form 4 Beckett Form 4

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.