American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Coverage Initiated at B. Riley

Investment analysts at B. Riley assumed coverage on shares of American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) in a report released on Friday. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $28.00 price target on the stock. B. Riley’s price objective points to a potential upside of 24.56% from the stock’s previous close. B. Riley also issued estimates for American Public Education’s Q1 2025 earnings at $0.17 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $0.18 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $0.25 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.76 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $1.83 EPS.

APEI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Truist Financial increased their price target on American Public Education from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 10th. StockNews.com raised American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. William Blair upgraded American Public Education from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Friday, March 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Public Education currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $25.33.

American Public Education Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ APEI opened at $22.48 on Friday. American Public Education has a 1 year low of $11.80 and a 1 year high of $25.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $21.88 and its 200-day moving average is $19.35. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $404.55 million, a PE ratio of 40.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.30.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other American Public Education news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 3,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.07, for a total value of $81,659.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 60,253 shares in the company, valued at $1,329,783.71. This trade represents a 5.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 11.38% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in APEI. Mackenzie Financial Corp bought a new position in American Public Education during the fourth quarter worth $580,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth about $124,000. Systematic Financial Management LP raised its holdings in American Public Education by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 353,184 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,618,000 after acquiring an additional 6,909 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in American Public Education by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 75,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,618,000 after acquiring an additional 6,921 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. grew its position in shares of American Public Education by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 35,291 shares of the company’s stock valued at $761,000 after purchasing an additional 943 shares during the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.