American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.180-0.290 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.560. The company issued revenue guidance of $164.5 million-$167.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $169.9 million. American Public Education also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.480-2.790 EPS.

American Public Education Stock Performance

NASDAQ APEI opened at $47.39 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.98, a current ratio of 2.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $52.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $51.74. American Public Education has a twelve month low of $27.74 and a twelve month high of $61.59. The stock has a market cap of $869.13 million, a P/E ratio of 25.07, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.38.

American Public Education (NASDAQ:APEI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $171.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $170.88 million. American Public Education had a return on equity of 14.02% and a net margin of 6.13%.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. As a group, research analysts forecast that American Public Education will post 2.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered American Public Education from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised American Public Education from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Lake Street Capital reissued a “buy” rating and set a $62.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and set a $64.00 target price on shares of American Public Education in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Zacks Research raised American Public Education from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $59.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Thomas Beckett sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.00, for a total transaction of $108,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 52,172 shares in the company, valued at $2,817,288. This trade represents a 3.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

American Public Education News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: APEI reported second-quarter earnings of $0.52 per share, well above the $0.36 analyst consensus, while revenue of $171.73 million modestly exceeded estimates. Results also improved substantially from a loss of $0.02 per share in the prior-year quarter. Zacks Q2 earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 revenue, net income and adjusted EBITDA outlook and projected full-year revenue of $690 million to $698 million. APEI also completed its institutional combination after the quarter, creating a single HLC-accredited institution, which management expects to improve its operating platform. American Public Education Q2 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: APEI is beginning a Salesforce artificial-intelligence platform rollout planned for early 2027. The initiative could support operational efficiency and student growth, but its financial impact is not immediate. APEI revenue outlook and Salesforce rollout
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter guidance was the main concern: EPS of $0.18 to $0.29 trails the $0.56 consensus, while revenue of $164.5 million to $167.0 million is below the $169.9 million estimate. Full-year EPS guidance of $2.48 to $2.79 also falls short of the $2.93 consensus, increasing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. APEI Q2 earnings call transcript

Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Public Education

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in American Public Education by 5,909.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,262 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in American Public Education by 84.1% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 738 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in American Public Education by 40.5% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,914 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 552 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in American Public Education by 96.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 1,298 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of American Public Education by 259.6% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $199,000 after purchasing an additional 3,809 shares in the last quarter. 79.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.