Key Points
- 325 Capital LLC sold about 184,259 APEI shares across March 16–18 (including 58,797 on March 17), reducing its stake by 5.25% and raising roughly $10.24 million while retaining 1,060,246 shares valued near $59.2 million.
- Strong Q4 results and guidance: APEI beat Q4 estimates with $0.67 EPS (vs. $0.39) and $158.33M revenue, set Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $0.58–0.64, and has attracted multiple analyst upgrades leading to a consensus "Moderate Buy" and $55.50 target.
- Institutional investors own about 79.6% of the stock, with firms like Goldman Sachs and Mirae Asset increasing their positions, signaling sizable institutional interest despite recent insider selling.
American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) insider 325 Capital Llc sold 58,797 shares of American Public Education stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.85, for a total value of $3,283,812.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,060,246 shares in the company, valued at $59,214,739.10. This trade represents a 5.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.
325 Capital Llc also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Wednesday, March 18th, 325 Capital Llc sold 63,500 shares of American Public Education stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.41, for a total transaction of $3,518,535.00.
- On Monday, March 16th, 325 Capital Llc sold 61,962 shares of American Public Education stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total transaction of $3,435,792.90.
American Public Education Stock Down 3.0%
NASDAQ:APEI opened at $54.32 on Thursday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $44.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.77. 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, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $20.75 and a fifty-two week high of $58.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $998.40 million, a P/E ratio of 39.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.70.
American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.28. American Public Education had a net margin of 4.86% and a return on equity of 11.30%. The firm had revenue of $158.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $151.61 million. American Public Education has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.580-0.640 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American Public Education, Inc. will post 0.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have recently commented on the company. DA Davidson increased their price objective on American Public Education from $48.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded American Public Education from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Griffin Securities set a $53.00 target price on American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Lake Street Capital increased their price target on American Public Education from $47.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, American Public Education currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $55.50.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on American Public Education
Key Stories Impacting American Public Education
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
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of American Public Education by 4.3% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,386 shares of the company's stock worth $209,000 after buying an additional 390 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 4.1% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 538,440 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,018,000 after buying an additional 21,079 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of American Public Education by 7.4% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 97,294 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,172,000 after acquiring an additional 6,671 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of American Public Education by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 422,854 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,882,000 after acquiring an additional 17,079 shares during the period. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised its stake in American Public Education by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 3,625 shares of the company's stock worth $110,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.62% of the company's stock.
American Public Education Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Featured Articles
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
