American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Shares Gap Down on Analyst Downgrade

American Public Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:APEI) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday after B. Riley Financial lowered their price target on the stock from $70.00 to $65.00. The stock had previously closed at $47.67, but opened at $46.01. B. Riley Financial currently has a buy rating on the stock. American Public Education shares last traded at $46.51, with a volume of 2,222 shares trading hands.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on APEI. Lake Street Capital increased their price objective on American Public Education from $62.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of American Public Education from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of American Public Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of American Public Education from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, DA Davidson raised shares of American Public Education to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Public Education has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at American Public Education

In other American Public Education news, insider James Kenigsberg sold 1,256 shares of American Public Education stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.69, for a total transaction of $59,898.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 43,473 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,073,227.37. The trade was a 2.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Public Education

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of American Public Education by 2.3% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 181,434 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,743,000 after acquiring an additional 4,125 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in shares of American Public Education by 350.3% in the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 80,658 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,375,000 after purchasing an additional 62,746 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in American Public Education by 99.5% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 77,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,394,000 after purchasing an additional 38,538 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in American Public Education in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,721,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in American Public Education by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 62,666 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,564,000 after purchasing an additional 5,492 shares in the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

American Public Education Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $45.47 and its 200 day moving average is $49.52. The company has a market capitalization of $849.23 million, a PE ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 1.41.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $171.73 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $170.88 million. American Public Education has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.480-2.790 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.180-0.290 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that American Public Education, Inc. will post 2.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About American Public Education

American Public Education, Inc (NASDAQ: APEI) is an education services company that provides postsecondary instruction and career-focused training through a group of institutions. Its portfolio includes American Public University System, Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing.

American Public University System offers undergraduate and graduate programs primarily through online and distance-learning formats. Its institutions serve military personnel, veterans, working adults and other students, with academic offerings spanning areas such as business, public service, health care, technology, security and liberal arts.

Rasmussen University provides undergraduate and graduate education through online and campus-based programs, with a focus on health sciences, nursing, business, technology and other career-oriented fields.