Zacks Research Has Optimistic Outlook of APEI Q2 Earnings

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of American Public Education in a research note issued on Thursday, March 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $0.37 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.32. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for American Public Education’s current full-year earnings is $0.47 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for American Public Education’s Q3 2026 earnings at $0.45 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.92 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.33 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.64 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.60 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.66 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.92 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.82 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.18 EPS.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $158.33 million for 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.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. B. Riley Financial upped their target price on shares of American Public Education from $53.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Public Education in a report on Monday, December 29th. Griffin Securities set a $53.00 price target on American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Barrington Research boosted their price objective on American Public Education from $51.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $55.50.

American Public Education Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of APEI opened at $57.24 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.05 billion, a PE ratio of 42.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.70. The company’s fifty day moving average is $46.64 and its 200 day moving average is $39.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a current ratio of 3.46. American Public Education has a fifty-two week low of $20.75 and a fifty-two week high of $59.42.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Public Education

In other news, SVP Tanya Joy Axenson sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.68, for a total value of $1,113,600.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 49,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,779,378.56. This represents a 28.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider 325 Capital Llc sold 95,512 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.76, for a total transaction of $5,230,237.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 901,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,351,573.84. This trade represents a 9.58% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 377,071 shares of company stock valued at $20,753,569. Insiders own 17.54% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of American Public Education

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in APEI. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in shares of American Public Education during the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of American Public Education by 5,909.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 1,241 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in American Public Education by 84.1% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 738 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in American Public Education by 40.5% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 552 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

American Public Education News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research sharply raised multiple EPS estimates (Q1–Q4 and FY2026–FY2028), bumped several quarterly forecasts and carries a “Strong‑Buy” rating — raising FY2026 to ~$2.33, FY2027 to ~$2.82 and FY2028 to ~$3.18, which materially improves the company’s forward earnings outlook. MarketBeat: Zacks estimate updates for APEI
• Positive Sentiment: Northland Securities also raised its quarterly and full‑year forecasts (multiple Q2–Q4 2027 and FY2027 estimates, with FY2027 ~ $3.04), reinforcing the bullish analyst momentum and supporting a higher valuation path if execution matches expectations. MarketBeat: Northland estimate updates for APEI
• Positive Sentiment: An independent price‑target lift to $57.56 (up ~20.8%) was reported, signaling increased sell‑side confidence in near‑term upside versus the stock’s recent trading range. That target sits near the company’s 12‑month high and may anchor investor expectations. American Public Education (APEI) price target increased
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha included APEI in a “Buy The Dip” roundup of high‑quality stocks to consider, which can attract retail and value‑oriented buyers if market sentiment stabilizes. Buy The Dip: Best Stocks To Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite multiple upward revisions, the street consensus for the current fiscal year still shows a lower figure cited in reports (the noted $0.47 consensus), so risk remains if management misses the newly raised expectations or if macro headwinds slow enrollment/revenue growth. MarketBeat: APEI analyst consensus

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.