Zacks Research Issues Optimistic Estimate for APEI Earnings

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research boosted their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of American Public Education in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the company will earn $2.07 per share for the year, up from their previous forecast of $2.04. 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 Q4 2026 earnings at $0.87 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.53 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.55 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.62 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.86 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.57 EPS.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09) by $0.39. American Public Education had a net margin of 4.87% and a return on equity of 11.75%. The firm had revenue of $163.22 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $160.02 million. American Public Education has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.320-0.450 EPS.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on APEI. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Public Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Northland Securities lifted their price target on American Public Education from $38.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on American Public Education from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. B. Riley boosted their target price on shares of American Public Education from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of American Public Education in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $40.57.

American Public Education Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ APEI opened at $40.19 on Friday. American Public Education has a 52-week low of $18.76 and a 52-week high of $40.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $726.64 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.45, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.72. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $36.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $34.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 2.84 and a current ratio of 2.84.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in American Public Education during the second quarter valued at $297,000. 4D Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of American Public Education by 111.1% during the 2nd quarter. 4D Advisors LLC now owns 285,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,681,000 after acquiring an additional 150,000 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of American Public Education by 124.8% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 668,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,342,000 after acquiring an additional 370,894 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of American Public Education by 9.1% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 563,079 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,151,000 after purchasing an additional 46,813 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in American Public Education by 76.1% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 389,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,867,000 after purchasing an additional 168,362 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about American Public Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple quarterly and full‑year EPS estimates (including FY2026 and FY2027) and maintains a “Strong‑Buy” stance — a clear positive for earnings expectations and investor sentiment.
• Positive Sentiment: Lake Street reaffirmed its Buy rating on APEI, reinforcing sell‑side support from another institution. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Northland Securities also remained a Buy on APEI, adding to the cluster of analyst confirmations that could support the stock if fundamentals continue to meet raised estimates. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published a comparative piece on APEI vs. Universal Technical Institute (UTI) for value investors — useful context for investors deciding between peers but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the positive analyst activity, the stock is trading lower on relatively light volume and already sits near its 1‑year high with a P/E around 30 — factors that can limit near‑term upside as investors wait for confirmed delivery against upgraded forecasts.

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.