What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for APEI Q2 Earnings?

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for American Public Education in a research report 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 estimate of $0.32. Zacks Research currently 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.

Several other research firms also recently commented on APEI. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of American Public Education from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. B. Riley Financial raised their target price on shares of American Public Education from $53.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Griffin Securities set a $53.00 price target on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, William Blair set a $58.00 price objective on American Public Education in a report on Friday, March 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $55.50.

American Public Education Trading Down 1.9%

American Public Education stock opened at $57.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.22, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.70. 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 52 week low of $20.75 and a 52 week high of $59.42.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of American Public Education by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 63,644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,406,000 after purchasing an additional 652 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 51,377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,919,000 after purchasing an additional 3,141 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in American Public Education by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 110,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,181,000 after purchasing an additional 1,150 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in American Public Education during the 4th quarter worth approximately $997,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its stake in American Public Education by 99.9% in the 4th quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 12,270 shares of the company’s stock valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 6,132 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.62% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at American Public Education

In related news, insider 325 Capital Llc sold 65,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.78, for a total transaction of $3,495,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 836,234 shares in the company, valued at $44,972,664.52. This represents a 7.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CMO Karmela Gaffney sold 2,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $2,264,243.49. This trade represents a 6.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 377,071 shares of company stock worth $20,753,569. 17.54% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about American Public Education

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised a string of quarterly and annual EPS forecasts and reiterated a “Strong?Buy” view — boosting FY2026 to $2.33 (from $2.07), FY2027 to $2.82 (from $2.57) and FY2028 to $3.18, and lifting several quarterly estimates (e.g., Q1/Q2/Q3/Q4 2027). These upward revisions signal stronger expected profitability and are a key reason for the stock’s move higher. MarketBeat APEI
• Positive Sentiment: Northland Securities raised its 2027 outlook and quarterly forecasts (examples: FY2027 ~$3.04, Q1 2027 ~$0.81, Q2/Q3 2027 ~ $0.56–0.63), reinforcing analyst bullishness on multi?year earnings improvement and supporting higher share valuations.
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha included APEI among “Buy the Dip” candidates, highlighting the stock for investors looking for quality names that can rebound — a headline that can attract retail attention and buying interest. Buy The Dip: Best Stocks To Buy As Stagflation Fear Overshadows Growth Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks comparison piece weighing APEI vs. peer Strategic Education (STRA) may help investors reassess valuation and positioning but does not itself change fundamentals; useful background for relative-value buyers. STRA or APEI: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?

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.