American Public Education, Inc. (APEI)Consumer Defensive | Education & Training Services | Charles Town, United States | NasdaqGS
60.86 USD
+0.26
(0.429%)
⇧
(April 20, 2026, 4 p.m.
EDT)
Short-term: ★★☆☆☆ | Long-term: ★★★☆☆ | Dividends: ☆☆☆☆☆ |
Hot Take | April 18, 2026, 11:32 p.m. EDT
APEI is driving for a short-term rally despite a looming earnings date, supported by positive guidance and a 'moderate buy' consensus. While the valuation is stretched with a 43x trailing PE, the forward PE of ~16x suggests if growth materializes, the stock is fairly priced for the next tier. The lack of dividends and recent decline in revenue growth highlight the risks of long-term holding, but the current momentum and student enrollment trends (APUS awards) support a tactical near-term hold. Avoid unless you have a strong conviction on the 'AI in education' narrative sustaining growth for 3+ years. |
| Model | MAE |
|---|---|
| AutoARIMA ✓ | 0.065704 |
| AutoETS | 0.066733 |
| AutoTheta | 0.089536 |
| MSTL | 0.158049 |
Forecast horizon: 45 days | Selected: AutoARIMA
| Forecast Reliability | |
|---|---|
| Score | 41% |
| H-stat | 38.12 |
| Ljung-Box p | 0.000 |
| Jarque-Bera p | 0.050 |
| Excess Kurtosis | -1.73 |
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Sector | Consumer Defensive |
| Debt to Equity Ratio | 55.282 |
| Revenue per Share | 36.026 |
| Market Cap | 1,120,502,784 |
| Trailing P/E | 43.47 |
| Forward P/E | 16.29 |
| Beta | 1.49 |
| Profit Margins | 4.86% |
| Website | https://www.apei.com |
As of April 18, 2026, 11:32 p.m. EDT: Option flow reveals a distinct asymmetry in sentiment. Call speculators are heavily positioned on ATM and OTM strikes around 60-65, anchoring upside momentum near current prices. In contrast, put flow is overwhelmingly out-of-the-money (OTM), betting on a drop to 20-60. However, the dominant put position is far below the current price ($20 strike), suggesting a counter-cyclical 'mean reversion' bet rather than immediate panic selling at current levels. The lack of in-the-money put volume and the high volume at deep OTM strikes imply speculators are hedging against deep declines or targeting a specific long-term bottom, while near-term buyers are focused on capturing the current rally's continuation above 60.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| 52 Week Change | 1.6495428 |
| Address1 | 111 West Congress Street |
| All Time High | 61.36 |
| All Time Low | 3.76 |
| Ask | 61.0 |
| Ask Size | 1 |
| Audit Risk | 1 |
| Average Daily Volume10 Day | 240,380 |
| Average Daily Volume3 Month | 339,088 |
| Average Volume | 339,088 |
| Average Volume10Days | 240,380 |
| Beta | 1.494 |
| Bid | 60.64 |
| Bid Size | 1 |
| Board Risk | 1 |
| Book Value | 16.263 |
| City | Charles Town |
| Compensation As Of Epoch Date | 1,767,139,200 |
| Compensation Risk | 3 |
| Country | United States |
| Crypto Tradeable | 0 |
| Currency | USD |
| Current Price | 60.86 |
| Current Ratio | 3.462 |
| Custom Price Alert Confidence | HIGH |
| Date Short Interest | 1,774,915,200 |
| Day High | 61.36 |
| Day Low | 60.35 |
| Debt To Equity | 55.282 |
| Display Name | American Public Education |
| Earnings Call Timestamp End | 1,773,349,200 |
| Earnings Call Timestamp Start | 1,773,349,200 |
| Earnings Growth | 0.089 |
| Earnings Quarterly Growth | -0.027 |
| Earnings Timestamp | 1,773,345,600 |
| Earnings Timestamp End | 1,778,529,600 |
| Earnings Timestamp Start | 1,778,529,600 |
| Ebitda | 70,008,000 |
| Ebitda Margins | 0.107889995 |
| Enterprise To Ebitda | 15.82 |
| Enterprise To Revenue | 1.707 |
| Enterprise Value | 1,107,498,496 |
| Eps Current Year | 2.86 |
| Eps Forward | 3.735 |
| Eps Trailing Twelve Months | 1.4 |
| Esg Populated | 0 |
| Exchange | NMS |
| Exchange Data Delayed By | 0 |
| Exchange Timezone Name | America/New_York |
| Exchange Timezone Short Name | EDT |
| Fifty Day Average | 51.348 |
| Fifty Day Average Change | 9.512001 |
| Fifty Day Average Change Percent | 0.1852458 |
| Fifty Two Week Change Percent | 164.95428 |
| Fifty Two Week High | 61.36 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change | -0.5 |
| Fifty Two Week High Change Percent | -0.008148631 |
| Fifty Two Week Low | 21.85 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change | 39.010002 |
| Fifty Two Week Low Change Percent | 1.7853547 |
| Fifty Two Week Range | 21.85 - 61.36 |
| Financial Currency | USD |
| First Trade Date Milliseconds | 1,194,618,600,000 |
| Float Shares | 12,665,409 |
| Forward Eps | 3.735 |
| Forward P E | 16.294512 |
| Free Cashflow | 81,994,752 |
| Full Exchange Name | NasdaqGS |
| Full Time Employees | 2,360 |
| Gmt Off Set Milliseconds | -14,400,000 |
| Governance Epoch Date | 1,775,001,600 |
| Gross Margins | 0.54223996 |
| Gross Profits | 351,841,984 |
| Has Pre Post Market Data | 1 |
| Held Percent Insiders | 0.05277 |
| Held Percent Institutions | 1.10367 |
| Implied Shares Outstanding | 18,411,154 |
| Industry | Education & Training Services |
| Industry Disp | Education & Training Services |
| Industry Key | education-training-services |
| Is Earnings Date Estimate | 1 |
| Language | en-US |
| Last Fiscal Year End | 1,767,139,200 |
| Long Business Summary | American Public Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides online and campus-based postsecondary education services in the United States. It operates through three segments: American Public University System, Rasmussen University, and Hondros College of Nursing. The company offers 181 degree programs, 110 certificate programs, and four diploma programs in various fields of study, including public service-focused fields, such as nursing, national security, military studies, intelligence, and homeland security, as well as traditional academic fields comprising business, health science, information technology, justice studies, education, and liberal arts; and career learning and leadership training in-person and online to the federal workforce. It also provides nursing-and health sciences-focused postsecondary education; and pre-licensure nursing education services focusing on a diploma in practical nursing and associate degree in nursing, as well as a bachelor of science in nursing. The company was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Charles Town, West Virginia. |
| Long Name | American Public Education, Inc. |
| Market | us_market |
| Market Cap | 1,120,502,784 |
| Market State | PRE |
| Max Age | 86,400 |
| Message Board Id | finmb_25024657 |
| Most Recent Quarter | 1,767,139,200 |
| Net Income To Common | 25,305,000 |
| Next Fiscal Year End | 1,798,675,200 |
| Non Diluted Market Cap | 1,120,502,832 |
| Number Of Analyst Opinions | 6 |
| Open | 60.78 |
| Operating Cashflow | 61,965,000 |
| Operating Margins | 0.120340005 |
| Overall Risk | 1 |
| Payout Ratio | 0.0 |
| Peg Ratio | 1.72 |
| Phone | 304 724 3700 |
| Previous Close | 60.6 |
| Price Eps Current Year | 21.279722 |
| Price Hint | 2 |
| Price To Book | 3.7422369 |
| Price To Sales Trailing12 Months | 1.7268738 |
| Profit Margins | 0.04863 |
| Quick Ratio | 3.241 |
| Quote Source Name | Nasdaq Real Time Price |
| Quote Type | EQUITY |
| Recommendation Key | none |
| Region | US |
| Regular Market Change | 0.260002 |
| Regular Market Change Percent | 0.429046 |
| Regular Market Day High | 61.36 |
| Regular Market Day Low | 60.35 |
| Regular Market Day Range | 60.35 - 61.36 |
| Regular Market Open | 60.78 |
| Regular Market Previous Close | 60.6 |
| Regular Market Price | 60.86 |
| Regular Market Time | 1,776,715,201 |
| Regular Market Volume | 163,251 |
| Return On Assets | 0.061680004 |
| Return On Equity | 0.10543 |
| Revenue Growth | -0.035 |
| Revenue Per Share | 36.026 |
| Sand P52 Week Change | 0.34445214 |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive |
| Sector Disp | Consumer Defensive |
| Sector Key | consumer-defensive |
| Share Holder Rights Risk | 2 |
| Shares Outstanding | 18,411,154 |
| Shares Percent Shares Out | 0.1325 |
| Shares Short | 2,438,695 |
| Shares Short Previous Month Date | 1,772,150,400 |
| Shares Short Prior Month | 1,654,356 |
| Short Name | American Public Education, Inc. |
| Short Percent Of Float | 0.1476 |
| Short Ratio | 4.74 |
| Source Interval | 15 |
| State | WV |
| Symbol | APEI |
| Target High Price | 62.0 |
| Target Low Price | 55.0 |
| Target Mean Price | 57.33333 |
| Target Median Price | 56.5 |
| Total Cash | 174,095,008 |
| Total Cash Per Share | 9.472 |
| Total Debt | 162,960,000 |
| Total Revenue | 648,862,016 |
| Tradeable | 0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Rate | 0.0 |
| Trailing Annual Dividend Yield | 0.0 |
| Trailing Eps | 1.4 |
| Trailing P E | 43.471428 |
| Trailing Peg Ratio | 1.7265 |
| Triggerable | 1 |
| Two Hundred Day Average | 39.0793 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change | 21.7807 |
| Two Hundred Day Average Change Percent | 0.5573462 |
| Type Disp | Equity |
| Volume | 163,251 |
| Website | https://www.apei.com |
| Zip | 25,414 |