What is Northland Securities’ Forecast for APEI Q1 Earnings?

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Analysts at Northland Securities issued their Q1 2027 earnings estimates for American Public Education in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, March 25th. Northland Securities analyst L. Horton expects that the company will earn $0.81 per share for the quarter. The consensus estimate for American Public Education’s current full-year earnings is $0.47 per share. Northland Securities also issued estimates for American Public Education’s Q4 2027 earnings at $1.05 EPS.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $158.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $151.61 million. American Public Education had a return on equity of 11.30% and a net margin of 4.86%.American Public Education has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.580-0.640 EPS.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on APEI. Zacks Research upgraded American Public Education from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen cut American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Lake Street Capital increased their price target on American Public Education from $47.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Truist Financial lifted their price objective 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. Finally, Barrington Research boosted their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $51.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Public Education presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $55.50.

American Public Education Stock Down 0.3%

APEI opened at $57.24 on Friday. American Public Education has a 52 week low of $20.75 and a 52 week high of $59.42. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $46.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.97. 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 company has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a PE ratio of 42.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.70.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in APEI. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in shares of American Public Education in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Valley National Advisers Inc. purchased a new stake in American Public Education during the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its position in American Public Education by 5,909.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,241 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in American Public Education by 84.1% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,616 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 738 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in American Public Education by 40.5% in the second 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. 79.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Public Education

In other news, CMO Karmela Gaffney sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.87, for a total value of $150,849.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 40,527 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,264,243.49. This trade represents a 6.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Nuno S. Fernandes sold 6,500 shares of American Public Education stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.87, for a total value of $350,155.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 84,175 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,534,507.25. This trade represents a 7.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 377,071 shares of company stock worth $20,753,569. 17.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.